investment specification familiesinvestment is provided to deliver services to families to improve...

May 2019

Families

Investment Specification

Title: Families Investment Specification Author: Family Safety and Wellbeing Date: May 2019 Version: 7

CONTENTS

1. FUNDING INTENT ............................................................................................................................................... 5

1.1 PURPOSE OF THE INVESTMENT SPECIFICATION .............................................................................................................. 5

2. FUNDING INTENT ............................................................................................................................................... 6

2.1 CONTEXT .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

3. INVESTMENT LOGIC ........................................................................................................................................... 7

4. SERVICE DELIVERY OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................ 8

4.1 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE TYPE ................................................................................................................................ 10

5. SERVICE DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SERVICES......................................................................................11

5.1 GENERAL INFORMATION FOR ALL SERVICES ................................................................................................................ 11

5.1.1 Requirements for all services .................................................................................................................. 11

5.1.2 Considerations for all services ................................................................................................................ 13

6. SERVICE DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC SERVICE USERS.....................................................................16

6.1 AT RISK FAMILIES (U3050) .................................................................................................................................... 16

6.1.1 Requirements – at risk families............................................................................................................... 16

6.1.2 Considerations – at risk families ............................................................................................................. 16

6.2 ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER FAMILIES IN THREE DISCRETE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES EXPERIENCING OR

WITNESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE (U3113) ........................................................................................................................... 16

6.2.1 Requirements - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in three discrete Indigenous communities experiencing or witnessing domestic violence ......................................................................................................... 16

6.2.2 Considerations - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in three discrete Indigenous communities experiencing or witnessing domestic violence .................................................................................... 17

6.3 FAMILIES — STATUTORY SERVICE USERS (U3310) ...................................................................................................... 17

6.3.1 Requirements – statutory service users .................................................................................................. 17

6.3.2 Considerations – statutory service users ................................................................................................ 17

6.4 VULNERABLE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN (U3330) ....................................................................................................... 17

6.4.1 Requirements – vulnerable families with children .................................................................................. 17

6.4.2 Considerations - vulnerable families with children ................................................................................. 18

6.5 VULNERABLE AND/OR AT RISK ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER FAMILIES (U3333) ............................................ 18

6.5.1 Requirements - vulnerable and/or at risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families ....................... 18

6.5.2 Considerations - vulnerable and/or at risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families ..................... 18

6.6 ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER FAMILIES SUBJECT TO A NOTIFICATION OR INVOLVED IN THE CHILD PROTECTION

SYSTEM(U1214) .............................................................................................................................................................. 18

6.6.1 Requirements – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families subject to a notification or involved in the child protection system (U1214) ............................................................................................................................. 18

6.7 REFERRERS AND ENQUIRERS (U3340) ...................................................................................................................... 19

6.7.1 Requirements - referrers and enquirers (U3340) .................................................................................... 19


6.7.2 Considerations - referrers and enquirers (U3340) ................................................................................. 19

7. SERVICE DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIC SERVICE TYPES .....................................................................20

7.1 SUPPORT - ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER FAMILY WELLBEING (T313) ......................................................... 20

7.1.1 Requirements – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing ............................................... 20

7.1.2 Considerations – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services ............................... 22

7.3 SUPPORT — INTENSIVE FAMILY SUPPORT (T327) ..................................................................................................... 23

7.3.1 Requirements — Intensive ..................................................................................................................... 23

7.3.2 Considerations - Intensive ....................................................................................................................... 29

7.4 SUPPORT — SAFE HAVEN (T331) .......................................................................................................................... 30

7.4.1 Requirements — Safe Haven .................................................................................................................. 30

7.4.2 Considerations — Safe Haven ................................................................................................................. 30

7.5 SUPPORT — SECONDARY FAMILY SUPPORT (T334) ................................................................................................... 31

7.5.1 Requirements — Secondary .................................................................................................................... 31

7.5.2 Considerations — Secondary .................................................................................................................. 32

7.6 SUPPORT — TARGETED FAMILY SUPPORT (T336) ...................................................................................................... 32

7.6.1 Requirements — Targeted ...................................................................................................................... 32

7.6.2 Considerations — Targeted .................................................................................................................... 33

7.7 SUPPORT — TERTIARY FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES (T339) .......................................................................................... 34

7.7.1 Requirements — Tertiary ........................................................................................................................ 34

7.7.2 Considerations — Tertiary ...................................................................................................................... 35

7.8 SUPPORT — FAMILY AND CHILD CONNECT (T347) ..................................................................................................... 36

7.8.1 Requirements— Family and Child Connect (T347) ................................................................................. 36

7.8.2 Considerations — Family and Child Connect (T347) ............................................................................... 43

7.9 SUPPORT — ASSESSMENT AND SERVICE CONNECT (T448) .......................................................................................... 44

7.9.1 Requirements— Assessment and Service Connect (T448) ...................................................................... 44

7.10 SUPPORT — CLINICAL NURSING SERVICES, CHILD AND FAMILY (T337) .......................................................................... 46

7.10.1 - Requirements of Clinical Nursing Services, Child and Family (T337) ........................................................... 46

7.11 SUPPORT - FAMILY PARTICIPATION (T601) ............................................................................................................... 47

7.11.1 Requirements— Family Participation (T601) .......................................................................................... 48

8. SERVICE MODES ................................................................................................................................................51

8.1 FAMILIES SERVICE MODES ...................................................................................................................................... 51

9. DELIVERABLES AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES ..............................................................................................52

10. CONTACT INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................70

11. OTHER FUNDING AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ............................................................................................70

REPORT - COMMUNITY/COMMUNITY CENTRE-BASED DEVELOPMENT, COORDINATION AND SUPPORT (A07.2.02) .71

REPORT – VOLUNTEER RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND/OR PLACEMENT (A07.1.04) .................................................72


REPORT – BROKERAGE EXPENDITURE – SAFE HAVEN (T311) .....................................................................................73

REPORT - WELLBEING DOMAINS ................................................................................................................................74

REPORT – LOCAL LEVEL ALLIANCE ..............................................................................................................................82

REPORT – QUALITATIVE EVIDENCE TO SUPPLEMENT OUTCOME MEASURE (OPTIONAL) ...........................................83

REPORT – ASC CLOSURES AND REFERRALS ...............................................................................................................84

CLOSURES ........................................................................................................................................................................ 84 REFERRALS ....................................................................................................................................................................... 84

REPORT – HEALTH VISITING PROGRAM .........................................................................................................85

REPORT – CLINICAL NURSING SERVICES_SCHEDULE1.................................................................................................89

REPORT - CASE STUDIES .............................................................................................................................................90

REPORT - IS70 OUTCOMES REPORT (CABOOLTURE YOUNG MOTHERS FOR YOUNG WOMEN) ..................................92


1. Funding intent In line with the strategic intent of the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women (the department), Families has been designated as a funding area to provide support to vulnerable and at risk families to prevent their children from entering or re-entering the statutory child protection system.

1.1 Purpose of the investment specification The purpose of this investment specification is to describe the intent of funding, the Service Users and identified issues, the service types, and associated service delivery requirements for services under the Families funding area.

This investment specification is a guide for service delivery for the Families funding area, where all service types contribute to outcomes. The investment specifications allow for flexibility, responsiveness and innovation in service delivery, enabling the right services to be delivered to the right people at the right time.

Figure 1 – Funding document hierarchy

Investment Specification

Procurement Invitation Document

Service Agreement

The department’s funding documents underpin the business relationship between the department and the funding recipient. The investment specification should therefore be read in conjunction with the procurement invitation document (new funding), and service agreement for organisations that are currently funded to deliver a service.


2. Funding intent Investment is provided to deliver services to families to improve the safety and wellbeing of children in their home and reduce the need for children to enter or re-enter the statutory system.

These services have a child protection purpose and focus primarily on the care and protection of vulnerable children and young people. Services work with vulnerable and at risk families to strengthen their capability, parenting skills, and resilience to prevent problems from developing or escalating to crisis point in order to avoid entry into the statutory system or when exiting from the statutory system. A coordinated and integrated family support system offers families with multiple and complex needs adequate support to de-escalate issues and provide a safer environment for children and young people.

In line with the department’s investment approach to improve the line of sight from investment through to outcomes, investment under Families contributes to the following outcomes:

• Children and young people are reunified with family and community.

• Families improve their capacity to meet their children’s care, protection and development needs.

• Families are supported to safely care for and nurture their children and young people.

• Fewer children and young people in the tertiary system and in care.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families have access to support to strengthen their capacity to nurture and care for their children’s wellbeing, reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in the child protection system.

• Families are supported to participate in child protection decisions that affect them.

2.1 Context The Queensland Government has committed to building a child and family support system with a greater focus on supporting families to provide a safe and secure home for their children. The department funds non-government organisations across Queensland. This is to provide support to vulnerable and at risk families with a focus on supporting positive family functioning and assisting families to effectively nurture, care for and protect their children.


3. Investment logic

Service Users Service Types Outputs Benefits

Statutory Clients

Family and Child Connect

Assessment and Service Connect

Intensive Family Support

Safe Haven

Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander Family Wellbeing

Secondary Family Support

Fewer children and young people in the tertiary system

and in care

Children and young people are reunified with their family and community

Domain

Safe

Referrers andEnquirers

At risk families

Vulnerable families with children

Vulnerable and/or at risk Aboriginal or

Torres Strait Islander families

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

families in three discrete communities

experiencing or witnessing domestic

violence

Capable

Resilient

A02.2.02

Case management

A01.2.08

Counselling

A02.5.02

Development of family/household management skills

Targeted Family Support

A07.1.02

Integrated Service System Development

A07.1.04

Volunteer resource development and /or placement

A07.2.02

Community/community centre-based development and support

A01.1.06

Information, advice, individual advocacy, engagement and/or referral

Families improved their capacity to meet their children’s care, protections and development needs

Families are supported to care for their children and young people

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families have access to support to strengthen their

capacity to nurture and care for their children’s wellbeing,

reducing the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

families in the child protection system.

Tertiary Familly Support

Clinical Nursing Services, Child and

Family

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families subject to a

notification or involved in the Child Protection System

Family Participation

A02.2.04

Family Participation


4. Service delivery overview The structure of family support initiatives within the Child Safety stream can be viewed in light of The Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) report, “Inverting the Pyramid: Enhancing Systems for Protecting Children” and the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children. The Families funding area provides support services to families along the continuum of need (as depicted in the diagram below) in order for families to get the right service at the right time. Program types include Tertiary Family Support, Intensive Family Support, Secondary Family Support and Targeted Family Support. The Families funding area does not have responsibility for the Universal Support services. All “Families” funded services are directed towards families with children and young people (0 - under 18 years) experiencing vulnerabilitiy who have entered or are at risk of entering the child protection system.

Figure 2 – Service delivery pyramid

Tertiary

Intensive

Secondary Targeted

Universal

____________________________

______________________________________________________________

Family support services, such as Tertiary Family Support services (formerly known as Family Intervention Services or FIS) and Assessment and Service Connect (ASC) operate at the tertiary level and work with families whose children are subject to statutory intervention. These services aim to improve family functioning and increase individual capability and resilience so that it is safe for their children to live with, or be reunified with them, or if not, and they are living out of home, to maintain a relationship with their families. Family Participation Program (FPP) services also operate at the tertiary level, assisting families who have been the subject of a notification or who are already subject to intervention by the child protection system.

Most family support services are positioned within the secondary level, providing support of varying intensity to families whose children are not subject to statutory intervention but are at-risk of entering the child protection system. The secondary family support system is three tiered delivering intensive family support, secondary family support and targeted family support.

An entry point to the secondary family support system is via Family and Child Connect, which provides information, support and advice to vulnerable families, community members and professionals seeking assistance for families who do not require a statutory intervention.

Intensive Family Support (IFS services) is a consent-based program that responds to families with children and young people (unborn – under 18 years) who are at high risk of involvement in the statutory child protection system. Families may refer themselves or be referred to services directly from Child Safety, other


government agencies and non-government organisations with the consent of the family, or from the Regional Intake Services and prescribed entities without the families’ prior knowledge or consent.

Case managers work collaboratively with families to identify and prioritise their presenting needs and provide intensive support interventions and engagement with specialist services. A key feature of Intensive Family Support services is that they use a lead case management approach to respond to the complexity of Service Users’ needs and identify a range of appropriate interventions in response to this complexity, then manage access and engagement with these interventions through a single case plan.

Secondary family support services are aimed at averting crisis and/or the need for a tertiary response or in some cases supporting families to re-establish themselves following an intensive or crisis intervention. Families present with fewer and less complex issues, and interventions required are usually shorter in duration and intensity than intensive family support services. These services work collaboratively with families to provide needs assessment, case management, practical in-home support, individual and family counselling, and specialist services as required. Assistance to the family is maximised as case management is provided within an integrated service system. Targeted family support services are secondary services that target a specific group (young people, pregnant women or cultural group etc.) within the community to deliver case management, or are available to the entire target group offering a single service, such as counselling, community development, family and household management development or volunteer recruitment and development.

All family support services must demonstrate strong cultural capability for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, but in recognition of the disproportionate representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in the child protection system, specific family support services are provided for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families only – Family Wellbeing Services (FWS), which work with families across the continuum from tertiary to universal; and Safe Haven services, which work with families in three discrete Indigenous communities. The table below provides an overview of the services users and service delivery types within the Families funding area. This is not an exhaustive list; the department may from time to time update this investment specification in response to evidence and changing needs to invest in additional service delivery responses, or different combinations of responses. Please refer to the most up to date version of this investment specification (see Section 11 for web links).

Service Users Services Types

At risk families (U3050) Support – Intensive Family Support (T327)

Support –Family and Child Connec) (T347)

Support – Assessment and Service Connect (T448)

Support – Clinical Nursing Services, Child and Family (T337)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in three discrete Indigenous communities experiencing or witnessing domestic violence (U3113)

Support – Safe Haven (T331)

Statutory Service Users (U3310)

Support – Tertiary Family Support (T339)

Vulnerable families with children (U3330) Support – Secondary Family Support (T334)

Support – Targeted Family Support (T336)

Vulnerable and/or at risk Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander families (U3333)

Support – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services (T313)

Referrers and enquirers (U3340) Support – Family and Child Connect (T347)


Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families subject to a notification or involved in the child protection system (U1214)

Support – Family Participation Program (T601)

4.1 Description of service type Support Services improve the capability, resilience, and safety of vulnerable Queenslanders, and provide a range of responses to support Service Users (Families). The service types in Section 7 provide details of the range of supports provided to Service Users (Families) under Support Services for the Families funding area.


5. Service delivery requirements for all services 5.1 General information for all services Services that are funded under the Families funding area must comply with the relevant statements under the headings of “Requirements” as specified in the Service Agreement. Services should also have regard to the relevant best practice statements and guidance provided under the headings of “Considerations”.

Requirements for all services are outlined in Section 5.1.1. Service delivery requirements for specific Service Users and Service Types are outlined in Sections 6 and 7 below.

5.1.1 Requirements for all services Blue Cards

• Organisations are required to comply with the screening and risk management requirements of the Working with Children (screening and risk management) Act 2000.

• The blue card system contributes to the creation of safe and supportive environments for children and young people when receiving services and participating in activities which are essential to their development and wellbeing.

• It is a requirement that people who work with children in regulated employment (which includes counselling and support) are suitable. This is assessed through the ‘working with children’ suitability notice (blue card). Blue Card information is available at: https://www.bluecard.qld.gov.au/

Accessibility

• Where an organisation is unable to provide a service to a person due to ineligibility or lack of capacity, there must be processes in place to refer the person to an appropriate alternative service. This can include providing an assisted referral or adequate support to the family to ensure engagement.

• Services must not exclude Service Users with challenging or complex behaviours; rather they must develop alternative processes for managing these Service Users.

• Services will use a variety of strategies to engage hard-to-reach families, in particular Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders and families from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds including the engagement of interpreters and translators where required.

• The department supports fee-free access to interpreters for funded service providers and clients from non-English speaking backgrounds who have difficulties communicating in English.

o To access a telephone interpreter you need to first apply for a Telephone Interpreter Service (TIS) code at this email address: [email protected]

Once your service has a TIS code, you quote this code each time you book TIS for interpreting services and TIS will bill the department.

o If you require the services of Deaf Services Qld your service should proceed with engagement and invoicing. This confirms that the service’s requirements were met.

Following the provision of the service and invoicing from Deaf Services Qld you will then need to seek re-imbursement from the Department. To do this your service will need to then invoice the department by sending the invoice to: [email protected] and providing a copy of a paid invoice. Upon receipt of the invoice and supporting document/s it will be checked and processed.

Further information about interpreter services is available at:

https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/about-us/funding-grants/non-government-organisation-access-interpreting-services

Workforce competency

• Staff teams must be appropriately trained and culturally and professionally diverse (where possible), and have the appropriate skills to meet the complex needs of the target group.

https://www.bluecard.qld.gov.au/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]




• Counselling and case management staff must be highly skilled and hold relevant qualifications. Funded organisations are responsible for the recruitment of appropriately qualified staff, provision of appropriate induction, ongoing training and development and professional supervision of these staff.

• The department understands that in some circumstances such as in remote parts of Queensland recruitment of staff with appropriate skills and experience can be difficult. It is also recognised that it may be desirable for a mix of qualifications, cultural connections and knowledge of the local area, skills and life experience to be reflected in the team.

Referral engagement and participation

• Multiple pathways in to secondary services are utilised to maximise access to support for families. Self-referral is encouraged and families may seek out services after initially declining support.

• Services should demonstrate perseverance in engaging hard to reach families. Thorough assessment of the family’s needs should inform the support provided. If Service Users perceive the service is helpful they are more likely to stay engaged. Workers should develop a partnership approach with parents that endorses parental responsibility and builds their skills and capacity.

• Where families are referred by Child Safety, either Regional Intake Service (RIS) or a Child Safety Service Centre (CSSC), and the family refuses to engage with the service, services must advise the referring CSSC or RIS the family has declined the offer of support.

Service delivery

• If a service is offering support to a family and Child Safety begins an investigation, the service may continue to work with the family. However, if as the result of the investigation an ongoing statutory response is deemed appropriate, the service must immediately transition lead case management to Child Safety. Child Safety has legislated case management responsibility once ongoing intervention is required. Services should continue to work with families until a transition plan is actioned or a decision is made for an intensive service to continue working with the family.

Output delivery

• The actual level of service outputs delivered and their alignment with the capacity for which the service is funded, will be assessed regularly by departmental staff. Where a service is unable to achieve the level of outputs for which they are funded, which might occur for a range of reasons, the service should alert the department to this matter as soon as possible.

• Where a service is unable to deliver outputs to the level of funded capacity agreed to in the Service Agreement, the department will require a practical action plan which demonstrates how the service will be able to achieve its funded capacity within a realistic timeframe. If a service consistently delivers outputs below its level of funded capacity, the department will seek to work with the organisation to understand the reason for the under-delivery and develop strategies to respond.

• The work of volunteers is not included in the reportable output hours for the department.

Outcomes delivery

• Services should be focused on delivering measurable change for service users as an outcome of the supports provided and aligned with the purpose of funding and reporting requirements.

• Outcomes for service users should be evidenced through a recognised client assessment tool or method.

Networking

The service must participate in existing networks and/or establish and maintain networks and partnerships within the local community and with a broad range of family support and universal services.

Practice principles

All family support services must adopt the following practice principles to provide best practice and positive outcomes for vulnerable families with children and young people:

• Valuing and supporting families as the primary place of nurturing for children

- The best way to promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people and to protect them from harm is by supporting families to care safely for their children at home and by creating safe and supportive communities.

• Building on strengths


- Support and intervention builds on the strengths of the child, family and community, enhances capacity and resilience and addresses identified risks and/or problems. Service providers work collaboratively and in partnership with children, families, communities and other service providers where appropriate, to develop case plans and to make decisions.

• Respecting and responding to family and community diversity and strengthening culture and connections

- Family and cultural background has a strong bearing on the ways families and communities approach childrearing. Support and intervention respects and responds to diversity and promotes culture as a resource, seeking to build on the strengths and protective factors which particular cultural backgrounds may provide.

• Holistic and integrated policy and practice

- A holistic and integrated approach to service provision offers the greatest chance of longer-term success. In partnership with non-government organisations, government plays a leading role in bringing together relevant stakeholders and supporting genuine collaboration throughout planning, implementation, partnership development and evaluation.

• Evidence-based policy and practice

- Support and intervention is outcome driven and reflects contemporary research and evidence on what works best to achieve desired outcomes. Where appropriate, consideration is given to targeting activities and interventions toward the early years and other critical transition points to maximise investment and outcomes.

• Purposeful, planned and matched to need

- Supports and interventions are goal orientated and planned, within a sound theory of change. They are carefully coordinated and individually tailored to the specific nature and source of family difficulties. Parent engagement is maximised through family support based on goals that are specific and interventions that are well coordinated.

• Relationship-based

- Relationships are vital to service delivery. Workers aim for a therapeutic role and strive to develop a structured helping alliance with family members. Interventions should be delivered by appropriately trained, research informed and skilled staff, backed up by good management and supervision.

• Tangible and non-tangible forms of assistance

- A mix of practical, personal development, therapeutic and enabling services are utilised as appropriate:

o practical services address a specific need in the family, such as transport to medical appointments, establishing daily routines related to meals or getting to school or respite care

o personal support and development including information and advice, parenting skills courses, budgeting and household skills development

o clinical or therapeutic services include casework, counselling, emotional support, family mediation, anger management, development of social supports

o enabling services to link the family to other supports via referral and advocacy (e.g. assist with access to housing, child care, emergency relief payment, rental assistance) and case management to coordinate service delivery.

Source: Professor Clare Tilbury, Griffith University

5.1.2 Considerations for all services Departmental policies and procedures

Relevant resources include, but are not limited to:

• The Child Safety Practice Manual.


• The information sharing provisions of the Child Protection Act 1999 enable specialist service providers to share information with each other, with other prescribed entities1 and with other service providers to identify, assess and respond to child protection and child wellbeing concerns. Specialist service providers are defined as non-government entities funded by the Queensland or Commonwealth Government to provide services that have the primary purpose of helping children in need of protection or decreasing the likelihood of children becoming in need of protection.Specialist service providers’ can share information with each other for particular purposes, for example, a service providing support to a family will be able to share information with another service in the event that the family moves from one part of the state to another. It also means that a service that was previously working with a family to provide support such as a FaCC service will be able to share information with another service, such as an IFS when it begins to work with the family.

Workforce competency

• Services should employ staff who are appropriately qualified/experienced in working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Cultural capability for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families

Ensuring the safe care and connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people is vital to achieving the intent of the Supporting Families Changing Futures Reforms, the Our Way Strategy and the Changing Tracks Action Plan.

Our Way, a generational strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families 2017-2037 is a Queensland Government strategic framework that has been guided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives to achieve generational change over the next 20 years. It represents a long-term commitment by government and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to work together.

As part of the Our Way strategy, the first three-year action plan, Changing Tracks has been released that aims to:

• reduce the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the child protection system;

• close the gap in life outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing vulnerability; and

• ensure all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children grow up safe and cared for in family, community and culture.

More information can be found here:

https://www.communities.qld.gov.au/campaign/supporting-families/background/strategy-action-plan-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-children-families

Organisations delivering family support should understand and work in accordance with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle which has relevance across the child and family service system. More information is available in the following resource:

https://www.snaicc.org.au/understanding-applying-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-child-placement-principle/

The Child Protection Reform Amendment Act 2017 represented a significant shift in how the department supports the connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young with people with their family, community and culture, acknowledging that stronger connections result in better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people. The changes also recognise the significant

1 prescribed entity means each of the following entities— (a) the chief executive of a department that is mainly responsible for any of the following matters— (i) adult corrective services; (ii) community services; (iii) disability services; (iv) education; (v) housing services; (vi) public health; (b) the police commissioner; (c) the chief executive officer of Mater Misericordiae Ltd (ACN 096 708 922); (d) a health service chief executive within the meaning of the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011; (e) the principal of an accredited school under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2001; (f) a specialist service provider; (g) the chief executive of another entity that— (i) provides a service to children or families; and (ii) is prescribed by regulation. specialist service provider means a non-government entity, other than a licensee or an independent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander entity for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child, funded by the State or the Commonwealth to provide a service to— (a) a relevant child; or (b) the family of a relevant child.



https://www.snaicc.org.au/understanding-applying-aboriginal-torres-strait-islander-child-placement-principle/


and long-term effect of decisions on a child or young person, their family and community; and acknowledges the role of family and community as the primary source of cultural knowledge.

At the core of the legislative amendments are the five elements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle. All FaCC services will need to be aware of and work towards incorporating relevant elements into their practices, particularly Prevention, Participation and Partnership:

• Prevention – protecting children’s rights to grow up in family, community and culture by redressing the causes of child protection intervention.

• Connection – maintaining and supporting connections to family, community, culture and country for children in care.

• Participation – ensuring the participation of children, parents and family in decisions regarding the care and protection of their children.

• Placement – placing children in out of home care in accordance with established placement hierarchy.

• Partnership – ensuring the participation of community representatives in service design, delivery and individual case decisions.

To support the meaningful participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families in tertiary child protection decision-making, the Child Protection Reform Amendment Act 2017 introduced the role of an independent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander entity for the child (known as an independent person).

In consultation with the child and the child’s family, the department will arrange for an independent person for the child to facilitate the child and family’s participation in significant decisions that impact on an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child who is the subject of a child protection notification or who is subject to intervention by the statutory child protection system.

Assessment tools

• Service User assessment tools are used to determine a Service User’s need. These tools are generally used during the intake or initial contact with the Service User as well as periodically to assess and re-assess the ongoing needs of the Service User. Services may wish to use Wellbeing Domains - Needs Identification/Assessment Record (Attachment 4) as the Service User assessment tool to determine the level of Service User improvement to report on the deliverable Outcomes Measures.

Single case plan

• Services should consider collaborative case management and integrated service planning and delivery, especially for the most complex and vulnerable families, where a lead professional provides a single point of contact for complex families and the development of a single case plan.

• Collaborative case management is used when a family or individual requires support from more than one practitioner or agency to respond to multiple, complex and/or interrelated needs. Services work together with the family to plan and deliver services and a lead case manager works to ensure that the client receives the right mix of services, in the right order and at the right time.

• Initial engagement with the family includes identifying which agencies or supports are already in place and negotiating which service is best placed to lead the single case plan.

• The case manager develops a trusting relationship with the family, identifies needs and existing services families may be working with and works to address issues using a single case plan. The provision of regular individual or family support, access to other specialist services and brokerage funds as well as the provision of ongoing practical assistance are critical to the success of the approach.

• An exit plan will be developed as part of case planning clearly identifying how the family will transition, or step down, from intensive family support at the end of the intervention.


6. Service delivery requirements for specific Service Users

6.1 At risk families (U3050) Definition

• Families with children and young people under 18 years, including unborn children, who are at high risk of entering or re-entering the statutory child protection system.

6.1.1 Requirements – at risk families • Service Users are families with children and young people under 18 years, including unborn children,

who are at high risk of entering or re-entering the statutory child protection system.

• The family would benefit from access to family support interventions and/or referral to specialist support services.

• The child and family’s circumstances or risk factors are likely to escalate if they do not receive support.

• The child is not currently in need of ongoing Child Safety intervention.

• Long term guardians may seek support from a family support service where it is assessed that the required support can be provided by an IFS service and where the child is not the subject of current case work being undertaken by the department.

6.1.2 Considerations – at risk families • The family may have medium to high complex needs.

• In some circumstances (e.g. impending reunification, one child in a family is on statutory orders but other children in the same family are not, or while an investigation is being completed) where continued support by the service is appropriate despite the family being referred or within the statutory system. The appropriateness of IFS working with these families will be determined on a case by case basis through negotiation with the Intensive Family Support service, Regional Contract Manager, Child Safety Services and the Commissioning area.

6.2 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in three discrete Indigenous communities experiencing or witnessing domestic violence (U3113)

Definition

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with children and young people under 18 years in three discrete Indigenous communities (Mornington Island, Cherbourg, Palm Island) who have experienced or witnessed domestic violence.

6.2.1 Requirements - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in three discrete Indigenous communities experiencing or witnessing domestic violence

• A member of the family identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

• Families with children and young people under 18 years in three discrete Indigenous communities (Mornington Island, Cherbourg, Palm Island) who have experienced or witnessed domestic violence.


6.2.2 Considerations - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in three discrete Indigenous communities experiencing or witnessing domestic violence

Nil.

6.3 Families — statutory service users (U3310) Definition

• Families with children and young people under 18 years, including unborn children, who have experienced abuse and/or neglect and as a result Child Safety has determined the child/ren is/are in need of protection and are therefore in the statutory child protection system.

6.3.1 Requirements – statutory service users • Statutory service users are families with children and/or young people under 18 years, including unborn

children, who have experienced abuse and/or neglect and as a result Child Safety has determined the child/ren is/are in need of protection and are therefore in the statutory child protection system.

• Families must be working with or recently ceased working with Child Safety Services on an Intervention with Parental Agreement or a Court Order.

• Service Users are parents 2and other immediate family members in a direct caring role of children who are referred exclusively by Child Safety Services when:

A. The case plan goal or review of a case plan goal is:

- reunification within 12 months; or

- support for the parent(s) with a child living at home under a Child Protection Order – i.e. a Protective Supervision Order or a Directive Order – which requires specific actions involving the family; or

- support for the parent(s) with a child living at home under an Intervention with Parental Agreement or Support Service3 case to prevent any likelihood of the child entering care; and

B. The age group is inclusive of children and young people aged from unborn to under 18 years.

6.3.2 Considerations – statutory service users • Families may choose to remain engaged with the service for a short period of time once the case plan

goals are achieved and they have ceased working with Child Safety Services to ensure ongoing safety and consolidate their learning.

6.4 Vulnerable families with children (U3330) Definition

• Families with children and young people under 18 years, including unborn children, who find themselves in vulnerable situations and do not require statutory intervention.

6.4.1 Requirements – vulnerable families with children • There is a child/ren unborn to under 18 years of age.

• The family would benefit from access to family support interventions and/or referral to support services.

2 For the purpose of definition for Statutory Service Users, “parent” does not include foster carers, specialist foster carers or specific response carers of children in care placements. Definitions of “parent” contained in the Child Protection Act 1999 apply. 3 A Support Service Case is opened when it is determined that a child is not in need of protection, however the outcome of the risk evaluation tool is high or very high and the family consents to intervention


• Long term guardians may seek support from a family support service where it is assessed that the required support can be provided by a secondary or targeted family support service and where the child is not the subject of current case work being undertaken by the department.

• The child and family have had previous involvement with, or are at risk of progressing into the statutory child protection system without support.

6.4.2 Considerations - vulnerable families with children • Families may present with multiple concerns.

6.5 Vulnerable and/or at risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families (U3333)

Definition

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with children and young people under the age of 18 years requiring assistance across the service continuum; universal, secondary and/or intensive and specialist assistance. The client group includes families who are subject to ongoing intervention by the department.

6.5.1 Requirements - vulnerable and/or at risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families

• A member of the family identifies as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

• There is a child/ren unborn to under 18 years of age.

• The family would benefit from access to early family support interventions and/or referral to specialist support services.

• The child and family have had previous involvement with, or are at risk of progressing into the statutory child protection system.

• The child is in need of ongoing intervention by Child Safety.

6.5.2 Considerations - vulnerable and/or at risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families

• Families may present with multiple concerns.

6.6 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families subject to a notification or involved in the child protection system(U1214)

Definition

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with children and young people under the age of 18 years who are the subject of a child protection notification or who are already subject to intervention by the statutory child protection system. Family in this context is defined broadly to include extended kin relationships and significant individuals from the child’s community.

6.6.1 Requirements – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families subject to a notification or involved in the child protection system (U1214)

• A member of the family identifies as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

• There is a child/ren unborn to under 18 years of age.

• A child in the family has become the subject of a notification, or the family is already involved in the statutory child protection system.

• The child is in need of ongoing intervention by Child Safety.


6.7 Referrers and enquirers (U3340) 6.7.1 Requirements - referrers and enquirers (U3340) • Referrers and Enquirers are people who are concerned about the safety and/or wellbeing of a child or

family and are seeking information, advice, or referral for support for the vulnerable family.

• Referrers and Enquirers must refer vulnerable and/or at risk families when they identify children or young people in need of support.

• Referrers and Enquirers include professionals (including those defined as mandatory reporters in the Child Protection Act 1999), prescribed entities, organisations, community members and/or families.

• If a referrer or enquirer is a mandatory reporter, they must report a reasonable suspicion of harm that a child is a child in need of protection caused by physical or sexual abuse to Child Safety Services.

6.7.2 Considerations - referrers and enquirers (U3340) • Referrers and Enquirers may use the Queensland Child Protection Guide to determine the most

appropriate course of action for them to meet the needs of the vulnerable family or child.


7. Service delivery requirements for specific service types

7.1 Support - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing (T313)

7.1.1 Requirements – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing • The department’s investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing aims to offer

vulnerable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families a coordinated mix of services to address multiple levels of need and build family and community capacity to safely care for and protect their children.

• An integrated service response to families requires services to provide holistic and strengths based responses to:

1. assess a family’s needs

2. use a culturally holistic case management approach to coordinate services for families

3. leverage support for a family from multiple service providers and promote collaboration, information exchange, joint planning, shared resourcing and the development of formal (and informal) partnerships amongst community controlled and mainstream service providers

4. offer personal support and development including information and advice, parenting skills development, kinship connections, budgeting and household management skills development

5. deliver practical services that address a specific need in the family

6. provide direct clinical and/or therapeutic counselling, emotional support and healing practices within a cultural framework.

• Services are designed and delivered by valuing and engaging with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership and knowledge.

• Children and families and their participation in the decisions that shape their future are at the centre of all integrated service responses.

• The service provider will deliver timely and effective support to families to achieve improvements in safety and/or protection from harm; and improve life skills to deliver the following outcomes:

1. improved wellbeing4 of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families

2. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are safer

3. efficient and effective services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities

4. a significant contribution to the reduction in the number of at risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in the tertiary child protection system within specific catchments.

• Services must align service delivery to the current version of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Service Program Guidelines.

ATSI FWS staffing

A multidisciplinary professional team within the service will assist the family as appropriate to meet their case plan goals. In addition to family support case workers, specialist staff will provide advice to case managers

4 This refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples feeling of being healthy on a physical, spiritual, emotional and social level. It is a state where individuals and communities are strong, proud, happy and healthy. It includes being able to adapt to daily challenges while leading a fulfilling life. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people land, family and spirituality can also be considered central to wellbeing. Healing Foundation - Glossary of Healing Terms http://healingfoundation.org.au/app/uploads/2017/01/Glossary-of-Healing-Terms.pdf

http://healingfoundation.org.au/app/uploads/2017/01/Glossary-of-Healing-Terms.pdf


and/or direct support to clients including specialist functions such as counselling. Staff will have experience and/or qualifications relevant to their role including the more specialised activities.

The department understands that in some circumstances, such as in remote parts of Queensland, recruitment of staff with appropriate skills and experience can be difficult. Organisations are expected to support all staff, including specialists, to successfully meet the requirements of their role through internal and external training, professional supervision and, where staff are willing to undertake study, the attainment of professional qualifications.

Referral criteria

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families with children and young people under the age of 18 years (including unborns) requiring assistance across the service continuum; universal, secondary and/or intensive and specialist assistance. The client group includes families who are subject to ongoing intervention by the department. The service will support case plan goals regarding the improvement of relationships and/or family reunification or preservation and will support a positive cultural identity for all children through actions that enhance/encourage strong connections with kin, culture and country.

Referral pathways

• self-referrals (includes family members, friends, other members of the community, Elders)

• Department of Education and Training; Queensland Police Service and Queensland Health

• other government and non-government agencies

• Family and Child Connect

• Family Participation Program

• Child Safety Services (Regional Intake Services and Child Safety Service Centres)

Non-engagement

• Where families, referred by Child Safety Services (RIS and CSSC), do not engage with the service, the service must advise Child Safety Services that the family did not engage. This information will form part of the child protection history for the family and ensure that any further action from Child Safety Services will consider the family’s engagement in secondary support services.

Collaborative Family Decision Making (CFDM)

• Collaborative Family Decision Making (CFDM) is applied whenever a critical decision about a child’s safety, belonging or wellbeing is required as part of the child protection system. This includes assessment, planning, monitoring and review activities.

• CFDM seeks to specifically influence how critical decisions are made through specifying best practice and minimum standards for engaging the child, their family, extended family and community as a group and empowering them to make decisions.

• The overall approach of CFDM is to ensure that agreed safety, belonging and wellbeing decisions are developed through an independently-convened process that is family and community driven. CFDM processes can therefore be convened or co-convened by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing services to support service provision to children and their families.

Brokerage

• Services are funded for brokerage. Brokerage funds will be used by service providers to purchase specialist services or goods that contribute to the overall needs and wellbeing of the child and family consistent with the outcomes and intentions of the family’s support program and the family’s case plan goals.

• The spending of brokerage funds must be clearly linked to a child and or family’s case plan.

• A brokerage fund of up to 5% of total grant funding is available.

Reporting

• Services are required to submit financial and performance reports using the department’s Online Reporting System (OASIS).


• Services are required to enter data on the information technology program Advice Referral and Case Management (ARC).

Networking

• All services must participate in a Local Level Alliance of government and non-government services.

Information sharing guidelines

• To meet the protection and care needs and promote the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, organisations and their employees operating a Family Wellbeing Service program must comply with the legal framework regarding the sharing of information provisions under Chapter 5A and Part 4 of the Child Protection Act 1999. All Family Participation Program providers (including fee for service practitioners delivering a family led decision making service) deliver Family Participation Program services as ‘prescribed entities’ and ‘specialist service providers’. Knowing when to share information is an important consideration in enabling the sharing of information provisions.

• A full description of sharing information to support children and families is available in the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women document Information Sharing Guidelines October 2018.

Youth and Family Workers: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiative (action learning approach) Some Family Wellbeing Services are funded to employ Youth and Family Workers to support children and families at high risk of entering the youth justice system. This is to ensure a comprehensive response to families who may be experiencing vulnerabilities that might otherwise lead to their involvement in the child protection or youth justice systems and will trial new service delivery models

Future steps

• The model will continue to be evolved with all Family Wellbeing Services, consistent with existing partnership with these services and Family Participation Program (FPP). This is to develop models that deliver value and results and improved accountability to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for service delivery where they make up the majority of service users.

7.1.2 Considerations – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services

The following principles underpin the design and delivery of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services:

• Cultural knowledge and understanding is central to improving children’s safety, belonging, wellbeing, identity and participation in community life.

• Authentic communication with families fosters collaborative working relationships and drives holistic service responses.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander local leadership is recognised and valued.

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community controlled organisations are best placed to deliver services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities.

• Services will listen to the views of children, family and community and will involve them in both the design of the service and the planning of responses.

• Place-based design of service responses reflects the needs and aspirations of the local community.

• Enhanced networks will increase safety and support for children, young people and families.

• Focus on the present and future whilst recognising the impact of the past and the importance of healing, rigour and hopefulness in the search for strength-based solutions.

• Continuous reflection to grow, learn and nurture connection and practice underpinned by trust and a shared commitment to finding solutions to raise strong, healthy, happy children and support a positive cultural identity for all children.

The success of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services program will be assessed using the following measures:

1. Demonstrates greater capacity to support families earlier


• number of families referred to Family Wellbeing Services

• number of families who consent to engage

2. Demonstrates families’ willingness to protect children from harm

• number of substantiations and re-substantiations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children after engagement with a Family Wellbeing Service

• number of re-notifications of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children after engagement with a Family Wellbeing Service

3. Demonstrates effectiveness of Family Wellbeing Services program

• number of cases closed with partial or majority of needs met

• number of cases which show positive change in key wellbeing domains

4. Demonstrates Family Wellbeing Services are meeting family needs and providing culturally appropriate support

• number of families satisfied with the Family Wellbeing Service

Service delivery mode options

• centre-based

• mobile

7.3 Support — Intensive Family Support (T327) 7.3.1 Requirements — Intensive • Intensive Family Support (IFS) services are required to build the capacity of families to adequately

nurture, protect and keep their children safe. Services must align services delivery to the current version of the Intensive Family Support Model and Guidelines.

• The outcomes to be achieved are:

o Improved wellbeing and safety of children, young people and their families.

o Strengthened capacity of parents to care for and protect their children.

o Fewer children and young people entering the statutory child protection system.

Hours of operation

• IFS services are required to operate for 52 weeks each year to receive referrals.

• It is a requirement that the service will meet the needs of families by providing flexible appointment times for families who cannot be contacted or access the service during normal business hours.

• It is a requirement that the case management function, including practical in-home support, will be available to families outside core business hours including mornings, evenings and weekends as necessary to develop and/or implement elements of case plans.

• While the IFS service is not considered a crisis service, it will display flexibility and responsiveness in respect of working hours in order to maximise support interventions with families and engage family members who may be working standard hours.

IFS staffing

• IFS case managers will hold university qualifications (undergraduate qualifications or above) in human services or a relevant related field. Staff will be required to have demonstrated skills in engaging hard-to-reach families. The majority of families referred to the IFS will have multiple and/or complex needs that impact on their parenting, family functioning and children’s safety.


• A multidisciplinary professional team within the service will assist the family as appropriate to meet their case plan goals. In addition to family support case workers, specialist staff will provide expert advice to lead case managers and/or direct support to clients. Specialist workers will also collaborate with external service providers within their own field of expertise to develop and maintain effective pathways for IFS clients to access those services as part of their case plan. Specialist workers will have a broader role in policy and program development and building the capability of the IFS in their area of expertise.

• The department understands that in some circumstances such as in remote parts of Queensland recruitment of staff with appropriate skills and experience can be difficult and a mix of qualifications, cultural connections and knowledge of the local area, skills and life experience may be reflected in the team. Organisations are expected to support all staff, including specialists, to successfully meet the requirements of their role through internal and external training, professional supervision and encouragement to attain appropriate professional qualifications.

Specialist domestic and family violence professional

• An experienced full-time worker with specialist knowledge and skills in the area of domestic and family violence has been identified as a critical inclusion in the IFS team. This is in recognition of the high proportion of vulnerable families who are affected by domestic and family violence; the high level of risk that domestic and family violence poses to the safety of children, young people and their families; and the specialist skills required to identify domestic and family violence, engage with affected families, and develop appropriate service responses.

• The role is designed to:

o provide specialist advice especially during case discussions

o assist co-workers to screen for domestic and family violence; and

o undertake risk assessments where domestic and family violence is identified.

• This worker will:

o provide case managers with advice and support with engagement strategies for families affected by domestic and family violence, including strategies to assess, monitor and minimise risk to family members and workers

o participate in client home visits where appropriate; and

o support or work with case managers to engage all family members who require a service response, including fathers, and working with the whole family where it is safe to do so.

• The role will include a level of direct client-related work as appropriate including counselling, risk assessment, risk management and safety planning. Where referrals to specialist domestic and family violence prevention and support services are identified as part of the case plan, this worker can assist family members to effectively engage with the appropriate service and continue to inform risk management strategies. In some cases joint work with the specialist service and the IFS worker may be the best approach for the family.

• This specialist role is not designed to lead case management or carry a case load.

• There is potential for this role to be seconded from a specialist domestic and family violence service providing information protocols are adhered to.

Diversity and culturally respectful practices

• The IFS should aim to recruit a diverse team that reflects the cultures within the local catchment and a mix of male and female team members to maximise long term engagement and effective relationship building between families and the service.

• If the IFS is not being delivered by an Indigenous organisation, in recognition of the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care and a commitment to support families to safely care of their children at home, the IFS is expected to recruit wherever possible workers who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. The service is required to develop effective links with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and community representatives and to ensure that culturally respectful practice is a core component of staff development and training.

• In addition, an IFS service is required to be capable of responding in a culturally sensitive way to families from Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds. Families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds require services to be responsive to their specific needs. Services need to


demonstrate their willingness and capacity to work with people from diverse backgrounds by developing specific strategies including linking with local multicultural organisations and engaging interpreter services.

Practice framework and tools

• The department has implemented the Framework for Practice to develop a shared practice approach across IFS services and Child Safety. The framework outlines the values, principles, knowledge and skills that underpin effective and respectful work with children, young people and their families to strengthen practice when families transition between sectors.

• Alongside the new practice framework, common assessment tools are provided by the department in order to develop a shared understanding and consistent practice across all FaCC and IFS services. These tools, the Common Assessment and Planning (CAP) framework and Structured Decision Making Tools (Safety Assessment, Family Risk Evaluation and Family Risk Re-evaluation) are available to IFS staff on the secure section of the Family and Child Connect website.

Principal Child Protection Practitioner

• Once an Intensive Family Support service is in receipt of a referral, an Intensive Family Support staff member can seek a case consultation with the Principal Child Protection Practitioner. The Principal Child Protection Practitioner will provide advice and information in relation to specific cases with a focus on:

o the suitability of the referral to Intensive Family Support service

o whether the matter provides information indicating a child may be in need of protection and therefore requires a report to Child Safety

o assist with the identification and prioritisation of needs for a child and family

o assist in safety planning and assessments

o assist in developing engagement strategies when working with a difficult or resistant family

o undertaking a risk assessment.

Child Protection notifications and interventions

• If an IFS service is offering support to a family and Child Safety begins an investigation, the service may continue to work with the family until the investigation is completed. However, if as a result of the investigation an ongoing statutory response is deemed appropriate, the IFS Service must immediately transition lead case management to Child Safety.

• If the outcome of the Child Safety investigation results in an Intervention with Parental Agreement (IPA), it may be appropriate for the IFS to continue to work with the family where there is a strong therapeutic relationship in place. However, the IFS service’s role as case manager must cease and is transferred to Child Safety. In deciding whether the IFS should continue to work with the family consideration should be given to the nature of the current service delivery and whether the strength of the established relationship with the family will provide the best opportunity for successfully achieving the child’s and family’s case plan goals. The continuation of service delivery will be formally agreed between the IFS service, Regional Contract Management, Child Safety Services and the Commissioning area. Arrangements will be subject to regular review to ensure sufficient progress is being made.

• IFS services are funded to prevent entry or re-entry of children and young people into the statutory child protection system. As such, the target group is children, young people and their families who are at high risk of abuse or neglect but are not currently assessed as in need of protection, with the exception of the above arrangements.

Referral criteria

• Referrals to IFS services must meet the following criteria:

o There is a child or young person (unborn to under 18 years).

o The family has multiple and/or complex needs.

o The family would benefit from access to intensive and specialist support services through case management.

o Without support the child, young person and family are at risk of entering or re-entering the statutory child protection system.

o The child is not currently in need of protection.


Note: Long term guardians may seek support from a family support service where it is assessed that the required support can be provided by an IFS service and where the child is not the subject of current case work being undertaken by the department.

• Multiple and complex needs.

There is at least one family member presenting with behaviours or circumstances that are having negative consequences for the family, particularly children. Consider is there is more than one issue impacting on the childor family’s wellbeing; or there is a complex issue/s impacting on the child or family’s wellbeing.

Examples of issues include but are not limited to:

o housing instability

o mental health

o drug and alcohol misuse

o domestic and family violence

o parenting challenges

o unemployment

o financial stress

Referral Pathways

• There are a number of referral* pathways into the service, these include referrals from:

o Child Safety Services

o Department of Education and Training, Queensland Police and Queensland Health.

o other government and non-government agencies.

o Family and Child Connect.

o Self-referrals where capacity allows.

Referrals from Family and Child Connect

• Referrals from Family and Child Connect will be transferred through the Advice, Referral and Case Management (ARC) system after the Family and Child Connect has engaged the family, assessed their needs and gained their agreement to be referred for support.

Referrals from Child Safety

• Referrals from the Child Safety Service Centres and Regional Intake Service (RIS) will only include families where they have been assessed as “at risk” but where statutory intervention is not required (e.g. un/substantiated - child not in need of protection). These referrals should be made through the Stronger Families Referral to Support Service website at http://familychildconnect.org.au. There are two types of referrals that an IFS service can receive directly from Child Safety:

Referral with consent: Where a full investigation of a notification has been undertaken by Child Safety and the case is now closed or the family has been subject to a Child Safety intervention with parental agreement (IPA) and the case is now closed or will be closed once the family engages and commences working with the IFS. In these cases, Child Safety will have made contact with the family and will refer where intensive family support is deemed appropriate and the IFS referral criteria are met, to an IFS service with the family’s consent. Referral without consent: Where Child Safety has made an assessment of a notification and determined it does not require further investigation, it is recorded as a child concern report (CCR). In this case, it is unlikely that Child Safety will have contacted the family. Therefore, where intensive family support is deemed appropriate and the referral criteria met, Child Safety may refer to an IFS service without the family’s consent. For CCR referrals, contact by the IFS service may be the first time a family will be informed that there has been a concern about their family that has been brought to the attention of Child Safety.

Referrals from Police, Schools and Health Services (mandatory reporters and prescribed entities)

• Mandatory reporters, that is, approved teachers, early childhood education and care workers, doctors, nurses, police officers with child protection responsibilities, officers of the new Public Guardian, Child

http://familychildconnect.org.au/


Safety employees and employees of licensed care services, may refer a child or a family directly to a service provider, including an IFS service.

• With the exception of early childhood education and care workers, the legislation allows for these referrals to be made without the consent of the family, however best practice is for information about the family to be passed on with their consent.

• Prescribed entities under section 159M of the Child Protection Act 1999 may refer a child or family to a service provider, including an IFS service with or without the family’s consent. Again, it is recognised that families are more likely to engage with the service and receive the support they need if the consent of the family is gained.

Referrals can be made with or without the family’s consent and should be made through the online referral form https://qld-families-referrals.infoxchangeapps.net.au/

Professionals and organisation referrals

• Any other professionals and organisation other than those listed as particular prescribed entities that identify vulnerable families who meet the referral criteria may, with the family’s consent, refer the family to an IFS service.

Self-referrals

• Families may self-refer to an IFS service for support.

Community referrals

• Community members seeking assistance for vulnerable families who need support may refer a family, with their consent, to an IFS service or encourage the family to self-refer.

Prioritisation Guidelines

• IFS services will engage eligible clients based on their professional assessment of criticality-of-need, regardless of the referral pathway, taking into account the following combination of factors:

o Referrals from Family and Child Connect or Child Safety Services whereby the family is deemed to be not currently in need of protection but the family’s outcome in the Family Risk Evaluation is high/very high.

o The child/ren is/are under 3 years old.

o The degree of vulnerability of child/ren given consideration of factors such as developmental delay, physical/intellectual disability, health/medical needs and challenging behaviours etc.

o Child protection history (e.g. more than one child concern report/notification recorded within a 12 month period, consideration of cumulative harm (e.g. series or pattern of harmful events and experiences that may have occurred in the past or are ongoing).

o Complexity of need with multiple presenting factors (e.g. mental health, domestic and family violence, substance misuse, disability issues, engagement in criminal activities).

o Social, environmental, cultural influences and networks (e.g. limited access to services, including housing).

o Other services currently involved, including the need for case co-ordination and/or access to more than one type of service.

Active Engagement

• If the referrer is a prescribed entity and unable or unwilling to gain the consent of the family, the IFS will accept the referral for the family and commence a process to actively engage with the family to obtain their consent.

• Assertive outreach to engage hard-to–reach families in their home or other community based locations is an essential component of the model. This includes unannounced visits or cold calling to make contact with families who have been referred without consent and actively encourage them to engage with available support.

• Unannounced visits are not expected when information indicates this may pose an unacceptable safety risk for IFS staff or to family members, particularly people impacted by domestic and family violence.

• Some of these families will not be aware that a mandatory reporter has concerns about the wellbeing of their children or that Child Safety Services has referred their family. There are a range of reasons that

https://qld-families-referrals.infoxchangeapps.net.au/


families may be reluctant to engage and the service will need to develop effective strategies to connect and build trust with families to maximise engagement that is safe for all family members.

Non-engagement

• Where families, referred by Child Safety Services (RIS and Child Safety Service Centres), do not engage with the service, the service must advise Child Safety Services that the family did not engage. This information will form part of the child protection history for the family and ensure that any further action from Child Safety Services will consider the family’s engagement in secondary support services.

Consent and information sharing

• Informed consent is critical to the IFS service model. Family members need to be aware what giving consent means and what information will be shared and why, and that in accepting support by providing consent this also includes permission to share information about their family with other service providers that can assist them.

• When IFS services commence working with children and their families, they should inform them that their personal information may be given to other organisations in certain circumstances, including the duty of care that providers have to report significant harm or risk of significant harm to relevant authorities including Child Safety Services. People should also be informed when their information has been shared and the reasons it has been shared, unless doing so would create risks to them, the child or others.

• When working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, effective engagement needs to take into account the cultural and historical factors that have led to entrenched disadvantage and vulnerability within this community. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be supported and empowered to participate in decision making processes.

• Care also needs to be taken to respond to any cultural and language barriers to the participation and understanding of families from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds.

• There may be several points during the support process where a family’s consent will be sought to share their personal information.

• A family will have the option of limiting or not permitting the sharing of information with a particular services or organisations.

• Where the adults in the family have different views about consent, the service will work to ensure the adult willing to engage with the support service is safely able to provide consent, including permission to share information, and access the services they need.

• A parent can consent on behalf of their child.

• Young people can provide consent where developmentally appropriate and should be encouraged to consent on their own behalf where appropriate.

• It is not always safe, possible or practical to seek and obtain consent. Requiring consent can at times, prevent or delay a service engaging with a family and prevent the effective coordination of services where multiple services are involved. Professionals need to be able to share information about a child or their family so help and support is provided in a timely way to enable families to meet the protection and care needs of children.

• While information sharing with consent remains best practice, the Child Protection Act 1999 enables specialist service providers, including IFS and FaCC, to share information with each other, with other prescribed entities, and with other service providers to assess and respond to a child’s needs or plan or provide services to a child or the child’s family to decrease the likelihood of a child becoming in need of protection.

• The 2017 information sharing addendum to the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 allows IFS services to share relevant information to assess whether there is serious threat to a person’s life, health or safety, or to lessen or prevent (manage) a serious threat to a person’s life or safety.

• In all cases, the IFS service must reasonably believe the information they are sharing will help with the particular purpose for which they are sharing the information. Decisions about information sharing need to be made with consideration of the individual circumstances of the child and family.

Case management/planning


• Secondary services must provide a lead case manager who works with families to identify specific goals to be reached. The goals are documented in a case plan developed during the initial assessment. The case plan also includes a clearly outlined exit strategy that will identify ongoing support services. Maximum independence is developed prior to families exiting the service.

Service delivery

• As some families will be referred to the service without their consent, services will play an active role in assisting Service Users to engage with the service. This will include the development of a range of strategies to assist the voluntary engagement of families. A key feature of active engagement is meeting with families where they feel comfortable, often in their own homes and gaining trust by establishing consistent and reliable contact and non-judgmental support.

• An assessment of family needs must be completed using the Child and Family Wellbeing Domains (or the Family Assessment Summary Tool when integrated) at case commencement and again at case closure. The assessments must be recorded in the ARC system as part of the family’s records to support case planning and reporting on outcomes.

• Services are responsible for the recruitment of appropriately qualified staff that will require specialist skills in the provision of intensive family support and counselling. Case Management staff should hold relevant tertiary (university) qualifications, a Human Services qualification or equivalent. (See IFS Staffing page 24)

• On average, workers have a caseload of 18 to 23 families per year. It is anticipated that families with medium to high complex needs will access between 40 and 100 hours (six to nine months) of support overall.

• A critical success factor of the program is the provision of integrated service provision through single case planning to support vulnerable families. Services use formal agreements and/or brokerage funds to procure other specialist or support services for the families referred for active intervention. IFS services in smaller communities with few or no support services available will provide the most critical of these services in-house.

Brokerage

• Services are funded for brokerage. Brokerage funds will be used by service providers to purchase specialist services or goods that contribute to the overall needs and wellbeing of the child and family consistent with the outcomes and intentions of the family’s support program and the family’s case plan goals.

• The spending of brokerage funds must be clearly linked to a family’s case plan.


Reporting

• Services are required to submit financial and performance reports using the department’s Online Reporting System (OASIS).

• Services are also required to enter data on the Advice, Referral and Case Management (ARC) system, a program developed specifically for the secondary family support service system. Services are required to enter the data on a regular basis so that data accurately reflects service delivery. In particular, all data needs to be up to date by the 8th day of the month.

Travel

• Hours spent by each worker with or on behalf of a family (i.e. if two workers meet with a family for one (1) hour, then the hour for each worker (total two (2) hours) will be recorded as time spent with or on behalf of that family).

• Hours of travel directly attributed to a family (i.e. travelling to and from a visit to a family is considered work on behalf of a family).

Networking

• All services participate in a Local Level Alliance of government and non-government services.

7.3.2 Considerations - Intensive Referral criteria – Child Safety referrals


• In some circumstances where a family already engaged with an IFS service becomes subject to an IPA, the service may accept a new referral from Child Safety for that family under the referral type IPA Open (negotiated) in order to continue working with the family while the child is subject to statutory intervention.

Service delivery

• In some circumstances, services may need to be provided outside of business hours, including before school, evenings and occasionally on weekends.

• The period of intervention will be dependent upon the needs of the family.


• centre-based

• mobile

7.4 Support — Safe Haven (T331) Safe Havens reduce the impact of family violence on children, young people and their families.

7.4.1 Requirements — Safe Haven Safe Havens are required to reduce the impact of family violence on children, young people and their families.

The service model has eight elements, defined as:

• Coordination – to develop and implement appropriate protocols and service arrangements with community stakeholders to ensure a coordinated approach towards responding to the needs of children and young people who witness or experience domestic and family violence.

• Community capacity building – to build and strengthen networks and support existing organisations to build and improve their capacity, relating specifically to prevention and early intervention activities to families with children and young people.

• Family Support – to assist families when a domestic and family violence incident occurs to keep their children safe from harm; to develop their knowledge and skills to continue to care for and nurture their children; to increase their capacity to manage and resolve complex issues in a way that improves their family functioning, capacity and resilience; by providing information about parenting issues and nurturing children.

• Family counselling – to provide counselling to individuals, couples and families to identify issues, recognise personal and social resources and deliver responses that enhance individual and family functioning.

• Youth work – to provide support to young people to address the social/emotional issues that confront them in their daily life as they make the transition from adolescence to adulthood and as a contributing member of society.

• Community patrol – to provide escort for children, either with the consent of parents, or with the approval of authorised officers, as defined by the Child Protection Act (1999) to ensure their safety by transporting them to a safe place if they are found wandering the street.

• Brokerage – to enhance support, services and resources that are available to families on a short-term or episodic basis that will support Service Users to meet their goals in a support plan. They are not intended to duplicate ongoing services and resources that are available to families through other programs or through their informal support networks.

• Emergency care funding – the provision of vouchers (and non-monetary assistance) to recipients who are meeting the immediate safety needs of children and young people experiencing domestic and family violence.

7.4.2 Considerations — Safe Haven Nil.



• centre-based

• mobile

7.5 Support — Secondary Family Support (T334) 7.5.1 Requirements — Secondary Secondary Family Support Services are required to reduce harm or risk of harm to children and young people, prevent crises or problems within families from arising or escalating and stabilise or maintain family wellbeing.

The outcomes to be achieved are:

• Improve the wellbeing and safety of children, young people and their families.

• Build the capacity of families to care for and protect their children.

• Provide linkages to local universal support services/community groups to enable families to access the resources to build their capacity to solve problems and make positive choices and changes.

• Prevent entry or re-entry to the statutory child protection system.

Referral pathways

• Families can self-refer to these services.

• These services receive referrals from other non-government agencies and government agencies. To make a referral to these services the following criteria must be met:

- There is a child/ren unborn to 18 years of age.

- The family would benefit from access to family support interventions and/or referral to specialist support services through a case management model.

- The child is not currently in need of ongoing Child Safety intervention.

- The family consents to the referral.

• These services cannot accept referrals from Child Safety Services if there is a current notification and an investigation has not commenced or where it has been determined that a child is in need of ongoing Child Safety intervention.

• Referrals from Child Safety can be accepted when the family is exiting from a Child Safety intervention (investigation or Intervention with Parental Agreement) and the referral forms part of the exit case plan/strategy.

• These services must not provide services to families where the child is placed in care by Child Safety Services. Where children are placed in care, Child Safety Services will access Tertiary Family Support Services to work with these families to address the identified child protection concerns.

• Long term guardians may seek support from a family support service where it is assessed that the required support can be provided by the service and where the child is not the subject of current case work being undertaken by the department.

Brokerage

• Brokerage is not funded within the model.

Reporting

• There are no additional reporting requirements for these services.

Travel




7.5.2 Considerations — Secondary

Service delivery


• Supports can be delivered by a variety of paid workers with different skill levels, tertiary qualified (university) and vocationally trained (TAFE) staff.


• A range of interventions is delivered to vulnerable families and children (unborn to under 18 years) that aim to reduce harm or risk of harm, prevent crises or problems from arising or escalating and stabilise or maintain the family’s wellbeing.

• Interventions provided can include case management, counselling, family therapy, mediation, parenting skills, community education and development, volunteer coordination and support, budgeting, household management strategies or supporting the family to adopt daily routines.

Networking

• All services are encouraged to participate in a Local Level Alliance of government and non-government services.


• centre-based

• mobile

7.6 Support — Targeted Family Support (T336) These services are narrowed by their target group, i.e. they work with one specific target group, such as teenage parents, or narrowed by the type of services delivered, such as counselling. For example, a service might target a specific group within the community, such as families from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds, to deliver case management, or be open to the entire target group to offer a single service.

The matrix below helps determine which category a service aligns to.

Family Support Matrix

7.6.1 Requirements — Targeted Targeted Family Support services are secondary services. These services are provided to reduce harm or risk of harm to children and young people, prevent crises or problems within families from arising or escalating and stabilise or maintain family wellbeing.

Secondary Family Support Matrix

Vulnerable children, young

people (0-18) and their

families

Any subset of the prescribed target

group (young people, ATSI,

pregnant women)

Needs assessment management

of case plan (as the primary

output/service model)

Secondary Family Support Targeted Family Support

Other service model e.g.

counselling, social and personal

development (as the primary

output/service model)

Targeted Family Support Targeted Family Support


These services are required to:

• Improve the wellbeing and safety of children, young people and their families.

• Build the capacity of families to nurture, care for and protect their children.

• Provide linkages to local universal support services/community groups to enable families to access the resources to build their capacity to solve problems and make positive choices and changes.

• Prevent entry or re-entry to the statutory child protection system.

Referral pathways

• Families can self-refer to these services.

• These services receive referrals from other non-government agencies and government agencies. To make a referral to these services the following criteria must be met:

- There is a child/ren unborn to 18 years of age.

- The family would benefit from access to family support interventions and/or referral to specialist support services.

- The child is not currently in need of ongoing Child Safety intervention.

- The family consents to the referral.

• These services cannot accept referrals from Child Safety Services if there is a current notification and an investigation has not commenced or where it has been determined that a child is in need of ongoing Child Safety intervention.

• Referrals from Child Safety Services can be accepted when the family is exiting from a Child Safety intervention (investigation or Intervention with Parental Agreement) and the referral forms for part of the exit case plan/strategy.

• These services must not provide services to families where the child is placed in care by Child Safety Services. Where children are placed in care, Child Safety Services will access Tertiary Family Support Services to work with these families to address the identified child protection concerns.

Brokerage

• Brokerage is not funded within the model.

Reporting

• There are no additional reporting requirements for these services.

Travel



7.6.2 Considerations — Targeted Service delivery


• Supports can be delivered by a variety of workers with different skill levels, including volunteers, university qualified and vocationally trained (TAFE) staff.


• A range of interventions is delivered to vulnerable families and children (unborn to under 18 years) that aim to reduce harm or risk of harm, prevent crises or problems from arising or escalating and stabilise or maintain the family’s wellbeing

• Interventions provided can include case management, counselling, family therapy, mediation, parenting skills, community education and development, volunteer coordination and support, budgeting, household management strategies or supporting the family to adopt daily routines.


Networking

• All services are encouraged to participate in a Local Level Alliance of government and non-government services.


• centre-based

• mobile

• virtual

7.7 Support — Tertiary Family Support Services (T339) Tertiary Family Support Services support Service Users of Child Safety Service Centres where ongoing statutory intervention with a family is required.

7.7.1 Requirements — Tertiary Tertiary Family Support Services must deliver services designed to:

• Maintain families where a child remains living at home under the ongoing intervention and monitoring by Child Safety Services; and/or

• Assist in the reunification of the child with their family from an care placement where this is in the child’s best interest.

Subject to capacity, where Child Safety Services are undertaking an investigation, and the result of the safety assessment is conditionally safe, the Tertiary Family Support service may work with the Child Safety Service Centre to engage and work with the family to prevent entry into the statutory system.

Where the Tertiary Family Support service does provide a service to the family and child/ren to prevent entry into the statutory system, it is possible that under the Child Protection Act 1999 the Tertiary Family Support service may be seen to be a specialist service provider and able to “share information with another service in the event that the family move from one part of the state to another”. Refer to 5.1.2 Considerations for all services.

Referral pathways

• Only Child Safety Service Centres are able to make referrals to Tertiary Family Support Services. Other government and non-government agencies are not permitted to send referrals to Tertiary Family Support.

• Families are not able to self-refer.


• Services must work to a case plan developed by Child Safety Services, who retain lead case management responsibility. The case plan must include one of the following goals:

- reunification of children with their families in 12 months;

- support to a child's family living at home on a child protection order;

- intervention with parental agreement (IPA); or

- support service case.

• Services must work in partnership with Child Safety Service Centres and collaborate with informal family supports and other support services (including universal and secondary type support services) to ensure case plan goals and case plan reviews for children and young people are addressed in a timely manner and in a family’s local community.

Service delivery

• Services must provide an integrated and responsive therapeutic suite of services, including individual or family counselling and group work where appropriate to a child/ren and their family.

Collaborative Family decision Making (CFDM)


• Collaborative Family Decision Making (CFDM) is applied whenever a critical decision about a child’s safety, belonging or wellbeing is required as part of the child protection system. This includes assessment, planning, monitoring and review activities.

• CFDM seeks to specifically influence how critical decisions are made through specifying best practice and minimum standards for engaging the child, their family, extended family and community as a group and empowering them to make decisions.

• The overall approach of CFDM is to ensure that agreed safety, belonging and wellbeing decisions are developed through an independently-convened process that is family and community driven. CFDM processes can therefore be convened or co-convened by Tertiary Family Support services to support service provision to children and their families.

Brokerage

• Services are funded for brokerage. Brokerage funds must be used by service providers to purchase specialist services or goods that contribute to the overall needs and wellbeing of the child and family consistent with the outcomes and intentions of the family’s support program and the department’s case plan goals.

• The spending of brokerage funds must be clearly linked to a family’s case plan.


Reporting

• When families are referred by Child Safety Services subject to an Intervention with Parental Agreement, or support service, the department requires regular progress reports on the family’s participation in the program.

• Services are required to provide Service User data on an annual basis on a template provided by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).

7.7.2 Considerations — Tertiary Case management/planning

• Services may assist Child Safety Service Centres in decision making by participating in case planning and case plan reviews that are coordinated and facilitated by Child Safety Services.

• Services aim to develop the practical skills of parents to care for their child, improve the safety of the family home environment and strengthen the attachment between parent and child/ren within a strengths-based and evidence informed practice framework.

• Child Safety Service Centre Managers have the discretion to allow a family to receive more than one episode of service.

• Hours of contact and coordination support provided to each family range from 10 to 20 hours per week, depending on the nature of the referral made by Child Safety.

Service delivery

• Service delivery models may vary and include combinations of one-to-one support to a parent or child, family counselling or mediation, group work, centre-based services and in-home support by paid staff and/or volunteers.

• On average, workers have a caseload of 12 families per year.

• Interventions may vary in length from three to twelve months, with the possibility of a further six months extension depending on a family’s need, consistent with parental progress and departmental case plan goals and reviews.

• Under some circumstances, services will need to be provided outside of business hours, including before school, evenings and occasionally on weekends.


• centre-based

• mobile


7.8 Support — Family and Child Connect (T347) The fundamental intent of the Family and Child Connect (FaCC) services is to enable families under stress to access the support they need as early as possible and without involvement of the statutory child protection system.

7.8.1 Requirements— Family and Child Connect (T347) • FaCC services are required to operate both locally within their defined catchment, and as a network of

services to respond to enquiries and referrals about the wellbeing of vulnerable children and young people who are at risk of entry or re-entry into the statutory child protection system, and their families. They also support an alliance of local non-government and government services that work with vulnerable children, young people and families.

• Services must align service delivery to the current version of the FaCC Service Model and Guidelines.

• Three key functions of FaCC are 1) information, assessment, advice and/or referral for support, 2) active engagement and referral for support and 3) support a Local Level Alliance.

Information, assessment, advice and/or referral for support

• The FaCC service is the entry point for information and support advice for vulnerable families. Community members and professionals seeking assistance for families that do not require a report to Child Safety Service can make enquiries to FaCC.

• The service will make available the following contact options:

- in person;

- by phone; and/or

- by an online referral via the Family and Child Connect website http://familychildconnect.org.au/

• The service must provide a visible point of entry for vulnerable families who need support within the local catchment.

• Initial identification and assessment of the presenting safety and support needs of children, young people and their families must be a key function of this service.

• Many families will only require information or resources, protective advice and/or advice about local services which will be able to be provided promptly to the person making the enquiry.

• The FaCC must also provide assistance with the use of the online Queensland Child Protection Guide at https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/about-us/partners/child-family/our-government-partners/queensland-child-protection-guide.

• If the information provided indicates the family has multiple and/or complex needs and will require intensive family support through a case management model, the FaCC worker must encourage the enquirer to gain consent from the family to refer the family to an Intensive Family Support (IFS) service.

• If the referrer is a prescribed entity and unable or unwilling to gain the consent of the family, the FaCC must accept the referral for the family and commence a process to actively engage with the family to obtain their consent.

• Where the referral comes in to FaCC to action, staff will assess the information provided in the referral and contact families according to criticality of need. Families identified as having the most critical needs must be the first to be contacted by FaCC to seek engagement.

• The initial assessment must be undertaken by a university qualified family support worker and also draw on the expertise of the domestic and family violence worker and other specialist workers within the service as appropriate including the Principal Child Protection Practitioner.

• When a reasonable suspicion is identified that child or young person is in need of protection, the FaCC will make a prompt and timely referral of the family to the Child Safety Regional Intake Service (RIS).

Active engagement and referral for support

• The second function of the FaCC is to actively engage with the families that are referred to the service because of multiple and/or complex needs.

http://familychildconnect.org.au/

https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/about-us/partners/child-family/our-government-partners/queensland-child-protection-guide

https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/about-us/partners/child-family/our-government-partners/queensland-child-protection-guide


o The service must actively engage families who have made contact, or have been referred, and work with them to identify their needs and gain consent if required for them to receive appropriate support.

o Assertive outreach to engage hard-to–reach families in their home or other community-based locations is an essential component of the model. Sustained efforts over time are required to actively encourage families to engage with available support services.

o If the enquirer is a prescribed entity and is unable or unwilling to gain the consent of the family, then the FaCC must accept the referral of the family without consent and commence a process to actively engage with the family to gain consent

o The FaCC must contact families by phone, mail and personal unannounced visits where necessary.

o Unannounced visits are not expected when information indicates this may pose an unacceptable safety risk for FaCC staff or to family members, particularly people impacted by domestic and family violence. In order to maximise engagement of families in services, informed consent is a critical aspect of the FaCC service model.

o Child Safety Services (RIS and Child Safety Service Centres) refer a proportion of families to the FaCC. Where families do not engage with the FaCC service or provide consent for a family support intervention, the FaCC will advise Child Safety Services that the family has not engaged. This information will form part of the child protection history for the family and ensure that any further action from Child Safety Services will consider the family’s engagement in secondary support services.

o Families identified as requiring intensive support through case management for multiple and/or complex needs will be referred to intensive family support or appropriate specialist services.

o Families assessed as having less complex or fewer needs must be referred to less intensive, targeted or universal services, or be provided with relevant resources.

Consent and information sharing

o When FaCC services commence working with children and their families, they should inform them that their personal information may be given to other organisations in certain circumstances, including the duty of care that providers have to report significant harm or risk of significant harm to relevant authorities including Child Safety Services.

o People should also be informed when their information has been shared and the reasons it has been shared, unless doing so would create risks to them, the child or others.

o Children and young people should be given the opportunity and supported to participate in decision making process relating to information sharing and have their views considered. The level of engagement of children in these processes needs to be based on their age, developmental stage and any particular needs.

o When working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families, effective engagement needs to take into account the cultural and historical factors that have led to entrenched disadvantage and vulnerability within this community. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be supported and empowered to participate in decision making processes.

o Care also needs to be taken to respond to any cultural and language barriers to the participation and understanding of families from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds.

o A family will have the option of limiting or not permitting the sharing of information with a particular services or organisations.

o Where adults in the family have different views about consent, the service must work to ensure the adult willing to engage is safely able to do so. Information sharing for families experiencing domestic and family violence will be guided by safety considerations, using the expertise of the domestic and family violence specialist.

o It is not always safe, possible or practical to seek and obtain consent. Requiring consent can at times, prevent or delay a service engaging with a family and prevent the effective coordination of services where multiple services are involved. Professionals need to be able to share information about a child or their family so help and support is provided in a timely way to enable families to meet the protection and care needs of children.

o While information sharing with consent remains best practice, the Child Protection Act 1999 enables ‘specialist service providers’, including FaCC and IFS to share information with each other, with other prescribed entities, and with other service providers to assess and respond to a child’s needs


or plan or provide services to a child or the child’s family to decrease the likelihood of a child becoming in need of protection.

o A 2017 information sharing addendum to the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012 allows IFS services to share relevant information to assess whether there is serious threat to a person’s life, health or safety, or to lessen or prevent (manage) a serious threat to a person’s life or safety.

o In all cases, the FaCC service must reasonably believe the information they are sharing will help with the particular purpose for which they are sharing he information. Decisions about information sharing need to be made with consideration of the individual circumstances of the child and family.

Lead or support a Local Level Alliance

• The third function of the FaCC is to lead or support the Local Level Alliance which will include government and non-government agencies who work with vulnerable families, including Local Councils and Australian Government service providers. The Alliance may be co-chaired by a government agency and the FaCC or another non-government agency within the Alliance by mutual agreement of Alliance members.

• The purpose of the Local Level Alliance (LLA) is to establish or strengthen connections between local services that are involved with working with vulnerable families to ensure families receive the right service at the right time.

• It is acknowledged that some service systems have a number of established networks already focusing on vulnerable families with children and the LLA is not intended to duplicate or replace these forums.

• The aim is for each Family and Child Connect catchment to have at least one LLA and in some instances, usually in large catchment areas, multiple LLAs.

Outcomes

The Local Level Alliance will work towards achieving the following outcomes:

• Building community capacity to provide a more efficient service provision for families and a thriving local community.

• Improved and more direct referral pathways for families to access appropriate services.

• Family and Child Connect embedded as an alternate pathway for families to be connected to the right support at the right time.

• Improved information sharing between providers to enable more coordinated and effective responses to families.

• Responses aligned to better support vulnerable families and strengthen service integration, such as a shared practice framework and resources.

• Contribute to service system integration through identification of available services and gaps, improvement in the alignment between the configuration of the service system and the needs of local families.

• Contribute to place based planning for the development of an integrated suite of local services that provide families with responsive, accessible and effective support.

Benefits

Through strengthening the service system Local Level Alliance will contribute to achieving the following benefits:

• Improved outcomes for at risk families and children through increased referrals to family support services.

• A reduction in unnecessary reports to Child Safety as a result of more efficient and effective pathways for children and families to access child and family support services.

• A reduction of in the number of children at risk and in care through increased use of family support services and improved matching of services to high risk families.

Membership

• The Local Level Alliance will include government and non-government agencies, including Local Councils and Australian Government service providers.


• Members will be drawn from agencies providing services in the local area who work with vulnerable families or family members.

• Some family support services, such as Family Wellbeing Services, and domestic and family violence prevention and support services funded by the department are required under their contract to be members of the LLA.

• Each LLA will include Aboriginal and/or a Torres Strait Islander representation to reflect the views, needs and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

• The underlying principle is for the LLA to include those members who are best placed to meet the goal of strengthening the local service system to effectively respond to vulnerable families. It is important that decision making representatives from agencies attend the LLA meetings.

• While leadership arrangements will vary across LLAs, it is intended that these arrangements will reflect a sharing of leadership responsibilities between the non-government sector and the government sector.

Coordination

• The Family and Child Connect service will resource and support the Alliance and report quarterly to the department in keeping with their funding and service contract.

• The Local Level Alliance Coordinator (or Alliance worker) will play an important role in identifying key agencies and services that contribute to the service system for vulnerable families and inviting them to participate.

Reporting

• The Local Level Alliance, through the FaCC will be required to report quarterly on the activities undertaken, effectiveness and/or issues relating to local agreements and protocols, and gaps in referral options.

Governance

• The Local Level Alliance works in partnership with the Regional Child and Family Committee and in doing so forms part of a three-tiered governance system, established to plan further service delivery and investment. The three-tiered governance system consists of:

1. Local Level Alliance: to establish or strengthen connections between local services that are involved in working with vulnerable families to ensure families receive the right service at the right time.

2. Regional Child and Family Committees: to implement the child protection reforms and achieve outcomes by co-ordinating reform implementation and facilitate effective working relationships at regional and local levels.

3. State-wide Child Protection Reform Leaders Group: to oversee development and operation of the place-based planning and service delivery processes and report on outcomes.

• The Local Level Alliances are key elements of collaborative place-based planning and integrated service delivery in local catchments.

Enquiries to FaCC

• The service must provide advice and support on the use of the Queensland Child Protection Guide.

• The FaCC must manage enquiries from mandatory reporters, other professionals and organisations, community members and families. The service must promote its role and functions to key partner agencies and the community generally.

• Every enquiry to a FaCC must receive some form of response from the suite outlined in section 7.8.2 Considerations — Family and Child Connect - Response types.

Referrals to a FaCC service

Not every enquiry to FaCC will result in a referral. To make a referral to FaCC the following criteria must be met:

• There is a child or young person (unborn to under 18 years).

• The family has multiple and/or complex need.

• The family would benefit from access to intensive and specialist support services.


• Without support the child, young person and family are at risk of entering or re-entering the statutory child protection system.

• The child is not currently in need of protection.

• Child Safety Services Regional Intake Service (RIS) will make direct referrals to FaCC service who will actively engage with the referred families to gain their consent for and active participation in an intensive family support service.

• The legislation allows for prescribed entities to refer without consent.

Prescribed entity means each of the following entities—

o (a) the chief executive of a department that is mainly responsible for any of the following matters— (i) adult corrective services; (ii) community services; (iii) disability services; (iv) education; (v) housing services; (vi) public health; (b) the police commissioner; (c) the chief executive officer of Mater Misericordiae Ltd (ACN 096 708 922); (d) a health service chief executive within the meaning of the Hospital and Health Boards Act 2011; (e) the principal of an accredited school under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2001; (f) a specialist service provider; (g) the chief executive of another entity that— (i) provides a service to children or families; and (ii) is prescribed by regulation.

o specialist service provider means a non-government entity, other than a licensee or an independent Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander entity for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child, funded by the State or the Commonwealth to provide a service to— (a) a relevant child; or (b) the family of a relevant child.

• Referrals must meet the referral criteria, be enacted electronically, contain key contact information and relevant information about the family’s particular circumstances and needs.

• Professionals and organisations who work with children, young people and families must be able to use the service to access information, advice and support that will assist them in their work with vulnerable families. If necessary, these professionals can refer families to the service and the service will make contact with the family. Referrals must meet the referral criteria and a the online referral from will need to be completed to enact a referral for support. These professionals and organisations will only be able to refer families with consent.

• Support services who receive referrals for urgent support from mandatory reporters – such as police referrals to domestic violence services - may also refer families back to FaCC or IFS, with consent, to enable ongoing support for multiple and/or complex needs.

• Community members must be encouraged to contact the service for information that they can share with families they know who need assistance or to discuss concerns they have about children, young people and families. Community members will only be able to refer families with consent.

• Self-referrals will be encouraged by promotion of the service as a point of information and entry for family support.

Referrals from Child Safety Regional Intake Service (RIS)

The department has the legislative authority to make referrals of families to specialist family support services without necessarily obtaining their consent.

• RIS can refer families who do not require a statutory response to specialist family support services including FaCC without prior consent. Where families do not engage with a FaCC service, the FaCC will advise Child Safety Services that the family has not engaged. This information will form part of the child protection history for the family and ensure that any further action from Child Safety services will consider the family’s engagement in secondary support services.

Referrals from Child Safety Service Centres (CSSCs)

• CSSCs can refer families where a child is not in need of protection. There may be situations that arise where a RIS or Child Safety Service Centre may contact the FaCC directly to seek advice or facilitate a referral for a family.

• The department has the legislative authority to make referrals of families to specialist family support services without necessarily obtaining their consent.

Hours of operation


• The service must assist families to access the information, resources and support they need and will be open 52 weeks per year excluding public holidays.

• To increase accessibility for families, including working parents, phones will be staffed from 8.30am to 5.30pm on normal business days. It is a requirement that the service will meet the needs of families by providing flexible appointment times for families who cannot be contacted or access the service during normal business hours.

• The service will not be expected to operate as normal on public holidays.

• Outside of the hours outlined above, the FaCC telephone system must be capable of receiving voicemail messages for a call-back on the next working day.

FaCC staffing

• FaCC staff working directly with clients must hold university qualifications (undergraduate qualification or above) in human services or a relevant related field.

• The staff must be required to have demonstrated skills in engaging hard-to-reach families.

• The service must engage a professional multidisciplinary team, including specialist family support workers, specialist domestic and family violence worker/s and workers with other relevant qualifications, skills and experience such as youth workers and early childhood health or education professionals.

• Organisations are also encouraged to recruit a full-time worker specifically for the lead Alliance function which will require a dedicated resource focussed on sector engagement and partnerships.

• In some circumstances such as in remote parts of Queensland recruitment of staff with appropriate skills and experience can be difficult and a mix of qualifications, cultural connections and knowledge of the local area, skills and life experience may be reflected in the team. Organisations must support all staff to successfully meet the requirements of their role through internal and external training and, where they are willing to undertake study encourage them to attain professional qualifications.

Specialist domestic and family violence professional

• The FaCC must recruit at least one full-time experienced specialist domestic and family violence professional. This is in recognition of the high proportion of vulnerable families that are affected by domestic and family violence; the high level of risk that domestic and family violence poses to the safety of children, young people and family members; and the specialist skills required to identify domestic and family violence, assess risk and safely engage with affected families, and develop appropriate service responses.

• This specialist role will ensure that the FaCC is highly aware of the nature and impact of domestic and family violence and that this awareness informs all points of engagement with referrers and family members.

• The role will work as part of the FaCC team to provide specialist advice and assistance to other FaCC staff members and those contacting the service. This will include assessment of referrals into the FaCC to screen for domestic and family violence, and to undertake risk assessments where domestic and family violence is identified.

• This worker will provide colleagues and enquirers with advice on safe engagement strategies for families affected by domestic and family violence, including strategies to assess, monitor and minimise risk to family members and workers, and will participate in client home visits where appropriate.

• The role will also assist with assessment of client needs, and decisions regarding intensive support, case management and referral pathways.

• This role will also be responsible for maximising the domestic and family violence capability of the Local Level Alliance in partnership with local domestic and family violence services.

Cultural capability

• The FaCC must ensure their staff are culturally capable and have regular access to training.

• Funded organisations must recruit a diverse team that reflects cultural diversity in the local community wherever possible.

• In recognition of the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care and the department’s commitment to assist families to safely care for their children at home, organisations are encouraged to recruit staff who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.


• In areas where there are high populations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, organisations are encouraged to recruit proportionate number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to the FaCC team.

• In addition, FaCC services must be capable of responding in a culturally sensitive way to families from Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

• Alliances must include significant CALD organisations as appropriate for the particular catchment.

Consent based engagement

• Informed consent is critical to the service model. Family members need to agree to accept support by providing consent which includes permission to share information with other service providers that can assist them.

• There are numerous points at which family consent will be sought to share their personal information. Families have the option of limiting or not permitting information sharing with particular services or organisations.

• Where the adults in the family have different views about consent, the service will work to ensure the adult willing to engage with support is safely able to provide consent and access the services they need.

Practice framework and tools

• Under the Child and Family Reform Program, the department has implemented a new child protection practice framework.

• Alongside the new practice framework, common assessment tools are provided by the department for use by FaCC and IFS services to develop a shared understanding and consistent practice across all FaCCs.

Principal Child Protection Practitioner (PCPP)

• A senior child safety officer employed and supervised by the department will work within the FaCC to support the team in assessing risk to children and young people and engaging families who may be at risk of entry into the statutory child protection system.

• Each service will have access to on-site child protection expertise.

• The Principal Child Protection Practitioner (PCPP) will also support professionals in the application of the Queensland Child Protection Guide.

• While the department will meet the wages and on-costs of the PCPP, the service will meet the costs of the office space and facilities and include the PCPP as one of the staff of the team in all organisational and professional activities. The salary costs of the PCPP will remain within the department’s budget.

Brokerage funding

• Brokerage is available to be used for families who have consented to a service in order to respond to an immediate identified need to reduce risk or increase protective factors that impact on the safety and wellbeing of children and their families.

• Brokerage funds must only be used by service providers for families who have consented to a service.

• Brokerage funds purchase specialist services or goods that contribute to the overall needs and wellbeing of the child and family consistent with the outcomes and intentions of the intervention.


Evaluation

• Funded organisations are required to participate in evaluation by providing information and data as required by the department and evaluation partners. The evaluation may include longitudinal follow-up of a statistically valid sample of families, with their consent, to assess their experiences following the FaCC response they received.

Reporting

• Services are required to complete quarterly performance reporting on the department’s online reporting system OASIS.

• Services are also required to enter data on the Advice, Referral and Case Management (ARC) system, a program developed specifically for the secondary family support service system. Services are required


to enter the data on a regular basis so that data accurately reflects service delivery. In particular, all data needs to be up to date by the 8th day of the month.

Travel



7.8.2 Considerations — Family and Child Connect (T347) Response types

Enquires to the FaCC will fall into the following general response types:

Enquiry - Response type 1

• Where the FaCC makes an initial assessment that the concerns raised about children are relatively low level, the FaCC will provide advice to the enquirer on how they could respond to the situation themselves. This might take the form of protective advice, suggestions for staying engaged with and supporting the family or information about local universal services that can connect the family with their community. This advice may be provided via telephone, e-mail, face to face and/or through providing a brochure to the subject family which provides details about local support services either by email or through the post.


• Where the FaCC makes an initial assessment that the concern raised about children is more complex but requires one principal service response, the FACC will encourage and support the enquirer to gain the consent of the family or individual family member for a referral to a specialist service provider recommended by the FaCC; and for the enquirer to then make a direct referral to the recommended specialist service.


• Where the FaCC makes an initial assessment that the concern raised is more complex or urgent which requires one principal service response, but a FaCC facilitated referral to the specialist service is warranted, the FaCC will support the enquirer to gain the family or individual family member’s consent, and to facilitate a three-way engagement between the enquirer, the FaCC and the specialist service to prepare for a smooth referral process.


• Where the FaCC makes an initial assessment that the concerns are highly complex and in need of multiple responses, the FaCC will ask the enquirer to use their connection with the family to gain consent if possible. If this is possible, the FaCC will accept the initial referral; undertake a more detailed needs assessment; identify the range of services required by the family; and if an immediate referral is not possible, undertake active-holding by keeping in touch with the family before handing the case over to an Intensive Family Support (IFS) or other lead agency as soon as there is capacity in that service.

• More than half of all enquiries received by a FaCC will fall into a ‘response type 4’; every effort will be made by the FaCC to make sure this cohort is only the most high risk and/or complex families.

• While every FaCC will have at least one designated IFS service to undertake more intensive case management work with these families, if the IFS is at capacity, then the FaCC will actively support the family to engage with alternative intensive family support options.

Referrals from a FaCC service

• The FaCC may refer to any appropriate service whether it forms part of the Alliance or not; however, the IFS and domestic and family violence services in the FaCC catchment should be the first option to accept a FaCC referral. These new and enhanced services, as well as existing intensive family support services funded through the department, will be required through their service agreements to accept and respond to FaCC referrals.


7.9 Support — Assessment and Service Connect (T448) Assessment and Service Connect (ASC) intends to provide needs-based responses to children and their families aimed at increasing safety. In the ASC model, Child Safety works with families, in partnership with ASC co-responder services, to complete an assessment process and response planning to provide intervention to children and families to increase safety. The objective of an ASC response is to determine if a child is in need of protection and provide children and families with the right service, at the right time, in the right place, to increase safety. Key aspects of providing the right ASC service include:

• proportional responses to concerns for children’s safety and wellbeing • culturally responsive service delivery to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and

families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds • integrated responses to domestic and family violence • coordinated and partnered assessment and service delivery

Key aspects of providing an ASC response at the right time include:

• enhancing access to early support to keep children safely at home • timely responses to enable rigorous and balanced assessment

Key aspects of providing an ASC response at the right place is:

• to deliver an investment in place-based services across Queensland’s vast geographical and demographic variances

• maximising service system investment and capacity through more efficient service integration and triaging processes

The right service, at the right time, in the right place, relies on a child and family system that partners to work collaboratively to ensure Queensland children are cared for, protected, safe and able to reach their full potential.

7.9.1 Requirements— Assessment and Service Connect (T448) Service scope

The scope of the ASC funded service is assessment and service provision following notification that a child may be in need of protection. When investigating and assessing notifications of harm, or alleged risk of harm, Child Safety can partner with non-government and government service providers, including ASC funded services, to:

• effectively engage the child and their family

• assess whether the child is in need of protection

• prevent future harm to children

• increase safety, belonging and wellbeing through intervention

• enable families to be linked in to the right support services

This partnership will be referred to as an ASC co-response. Where identified as appropriate during an ASC response, Child Safety will partner with co-responders. Child Safety will identify responses that are suitable for co-response and where identified seek to engage a co-responder. ASC services are expected to attend initial visits to families with Child Safety unless there is a clear reason why this should not occur. ASC funded service contact with the family will be with the family’s consent which can be sought at this initial visit or prior. If the family does not consent, contact with an ASC service must cease and only the department will continue the investigation and assessment.


A response may have more than one co-responder, if appropriate to the child and family’s needs, such as:

• ASC funded service providers.

• Any other government funded or government service provider able to respond and identified by the department as appropriate based on the family’s characteristics (e.g. cultural background; current services; presenting issues, such as domestic and family violence or mental health).

The role of the co-responder will be to partner with the Child Safety Officer to assist in the assessment process through engaging with the family and enable, support and inform the response provided to the child and their family. Where the co-responder is the ASC funded service their role will be to assist the child and their family to receive the support and services they need to increase safety and decrease the likelihood of the child entering care.

Referral pathway

• The ASC service will only accept referrals from Child Safety Services.

Hours of operation

• The service must be open 52 weeks per year excluding public holidays.

• Phones will be staffed from 9.00am to 5.00pm on normal business days.

• It is a requirement that the service is able to operate outside normal business hours if requested by Child Safety to meet the requirements of a ASC response for a particular referral.

• The service will not be expected to operate on public holidays.

ASC staffing

• ASC staff working directly with clients must hold university qualifications in human services or a relevant related field.

• The staff must be required to have demonstrated skills in engaging hard-to-reach families.

• The service must engage a professional multidisciplinary team, including workers with skills and knowledge to work with clients experiencing issues such as domestic and family violence, drug and alcohol misuse, mental health issues, disabilities, and development delays in children.

• In some circumstances such as in remote parts of Queensland recruitment of staff with appropriate skills and experience can be difficult and a mix of qualifications, cultural connections and knowledge of the local area, skills and life experience may be reflected in the team. Organisations must support all staff to successfully meet the requirements of their role through internal and external training and encouragement to attain appropriate professional qualifications.

Culturally respectful practice

• The ASC must ensure their staff are culturally capable and have regular access to training.

• Funded organisations must recruit a diverse team that reflects cultural diversity in the local community wherever possible.

• In recognition of the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in care and the department’s commitment to assist families to safely care for their children at home, organisations are encouraged to recruit staff who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.

• In areas where there are high populations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, organisations are encouraged to recruit proportionate number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff to the ASC team.

• In addition, ASC services must be capable of responding in a culturally sensitive way to families from Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Departmental policies and procedures

• The authority for ASC is provided through the ASC Operational Policy. This policy is supported by Operational Policy Guidelines. These guidelines are provided by the department to service providers and Child Safety staff to support service delivery.

Information sharing


• The information sharing provisions of the Child Protection Act 1999 enable ASC service providers to share information with each other, with other prescribed entities, and with other service providers to identify, assess and respond to child protection and child wellbeing concerns. ASC services are specialist service providers funded by the Queensland Government to provide services with the primary purpose of helping children in need of protection or decreasing the likelihood of children becoming in need of protection. As a specialist service provider, an ASC service provider can share information with other specialist service providers for particular purposes, for example, providing support to a family and sharing information with another service in the event the family moves from one part of the state to another.

Evaluation

• Funded organisations will be required to participate in evaluation by providing information and data as required by the department and evaluation partners. This may include providing information as frequently as monthly.

Reporting • Services are required to complete quarterly performance reporting on the department’s online reporting

system – OASIS.

• Services may be required to use the ASC case management system to record information about referrals and families they have contact with. This will include recording information required for evaluation purposes.

• As part of all relevant Investigation and Assessment Events in ICMS, Child Safety records a summary of the action taken to support a child’s protection. Where an ASC funded service is part of the response, they will provide sufficient information to assist the Child Safety officer to comprehensively complete this record on ICMS.

7.10 Support — Clinical Nursing Services, Child and Family (T337)

Clinical nurses are employed to work in each Child and Family catchment to build parents’ capacity to promote the healthy development of their children, to address their own health needs and to navigate the health, mental health and drug and alcohol service systems.

While employed by health-related services that can provide the necessary clinical oversight, the nurses work on a fulltime basis with the staff and clients of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services and Intensive Family Support services, including working with families in their homes. Where a family is working with one of these services, the nurse may be called upon to:

• facilitate access to support for maternal and child health

• provide health interventions and referral where necessary

• undertake risk and developmental assessments

• screen for, mental health, drug and alcohol issues and family violence

• provide health promotion information on key health and wellbeing matters including immunisation, nutrition, oral health, communication, language and play and kindergarten enrolment

The provision of clinical nursing services ensures that families have access to targeted health and child development information and assessments within the family support service, resulting in early identification, intervention and links to universal and specialist services.

7.10.1 - Requirements of Clinical Nursing Services, Child and Family (T337) Clinical Nurse activities

• Deliver high quality health care and support services to families experiencing vulnerability.

• Provide infant and child development assessments.

• Build capability of parents to improve their own health and wellbeing as well as promoting the healthy development of their children.


• Assist families to navigate the broader health system including child and maternal health, mental health and drug and alcohol services as required.

• Provide health intervention and referrals where necessary.

• Identify mental health, drug and alcohol issues and family violence affecting families engaged with the support service system.

Cultural capability

• The Clinical Nurse must be able to deliver health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in a culturally respectful manner.

• The employing organisation should ensure the staff are culturally capable and have regular access to training.

• In addition, the Clinical Nurse must be capable of responding in a culturally sensitive way to families from Cultural and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

Staffing requirements

• One full-time or equivalent Clinical Nurse must be employed to work in each Child and Family catchment.

• Clinical Nurses employed under this initiative must be at least a Level 2 RN registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority.

• The employing agency must provide clinical supervision and professional support to the clinical nurse.

• The Clinical Nurse should be provided with access to health related resources and the appropriate medical equipment to perform the role.

• The employing agency must participate in the Local Level Alliance led by the Family and Child Connect service within the catchment.

Reporting

• Services are required to complete quarterly performance reporting on the department’s online reporting system – OASIS.

7.11 Support - Family Participation (T601) Family participation services support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to participate in child protection decisions that affect their lives.

A key function of the Family Participation services is the facilitation of independent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Led Decision Making (ATSIFLDM), a process whereby authority is given to parents, families and children to solve problems and lead decision-making in a culturally safe space.

There are several critical elements to effective family led decision making with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and families. These include the facilitator being seen as independent of the department, the family being given the time to meet on their own, the effective mapping of kin networks, a focus on the safety of the child and engagement of the supports that families require to enable them to resolve challenges.

When applied during the investigation and assessment process, ATSIFLDM helps the family to better understand the department’s child safety concerns, provide information that can assist in determining if the concerns are warranted, and supports the family to develop a safety plan that mitigates risks to the child. By empowering families to develop solutions to child safety concerns and supporting them to access necessary support, it is anticipated that wherever possible, children will be able to remain safely within their families.

Where families become subject to statutory child protection intervention, ATSIFLDM provides a vehicle for families to actively participate in case planning, placement decisions and transition from care planning.

While ATSIFLDM is a primary function of the service, families may seek other less structured forms of assistance that enable them to participate in decision making.

The Family Participation Program aims to:

• give effect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ right to self-determination


• facilitate shared decision making involving parents and families at different phases of their involvement in the child protection system

• develop family based solutions that provide for the protection and care needs of children, whether at home or in care

The ultimate goal of the Family Participation Program is to ensure the participation of families in the decisions that impact most profoundly upon their children. It is hoped that by empowering families in decision making processes and activating appropriate support networks, the safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children can be achieved within family, community and culture.

The Family Participation Program function is distinct from, but closely associated with the support function of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing Services. ATSIFLDM can assist families to participate in decision making processes, but families are also likely to require support to address child safety concerns and to implement the action plans they have developed. It is expected that families assisted through the Family Participation Program service will also be offered access to the full range of supports available through Family Wellbeing Services, which operate under a case management approach.

7.11.1 Requirements— Family Participation (T601) The Family Participation Program empowers families to participate in decisions about their children at multiple points over the period of their engagement with the child protection system. These include:

• Investigation and assessment – The service may convene a family led decision making process prior to the completion of an assessment to enable families to develop a safety plan that reduces the likelihood of the child being removed.

• Locating an independent person – The service may assist the family to locate an independent person (entity) or undertake the role of an independent person (entity) where requested.

• Court – The Children’s Court must have regard to Aboriginal tradition and Island custom relating to the child, the child placement principle, and to inform itself about the matters, the court may seek information from a Family Participation Program service about the family’s involvement in decision making to date.

• Development or review of a case plan – The service may assist the family to have input to the development of their child’s case plan or case plan reviews, to ensure that every opportunity to reunite the child with family is explored.

• Cultural support planning – Family led decision making may be used to inform the development of cultural support plans that genuinely maintain connections with family, country and culture.

• Reunification or transition to independence – Family led decision making can support the development of child safety plans that enable the child to be returned to the family, or to plan the child’s exit from the child protection system at the age of 18 in a way that sustains connection with family, country and culture.

Key functions that could be undertaken by a Family Participation Program service include:

• Assisting families to understand Child Safety processes and the safety concerns held by the department (where applicable).

• Providing unstructured support to a family to enable them to have active input to decisions. • Conducting family mapping to identify family members who could support the resolution of safety

concerns or maintain the child’s cultural and family connections. • Facilitating family planning sessions to assist them to prepare for a family led decision making process. • Facilitating formal family led decision making processes. • Linking families with the support services they need to implement and sustain the family-developed plan.

Referrals

• The Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women may notify a Family Participation Program service when it is commencing engagement with a family, but services will only be engaged with the direct approval of the family.


• Families may choose an alternative service provider or individual to support them in child safety decision making processes.

• Families may seek support from different sources at different points of their engagement with the department.

Outreach

Services must be mobile to respond to families in settings that are comfortable for all family members. Assistance needs to be available across the target area.

Hours of operation

• The service must be open 52 weeks per year excluding public holidays.

• The service must operate with a degree of flexibility in its operating hours to maximise the possibility of family members being involved in a decision making process. This requires some work outside normal business hours.

• The service will not be expected to operate on public holidays.

Staffing

• Family Participation Program staff working directly with clients must have undertaken training in family-led decision making processes.

• Staff should have experience and/or training in a human services field.

Evaluation

• Funded organisations will be required to participate in evaluation by providing information and data as required by the department and evaluation partners.

Reporting

• Services are required to complete quarterly performance reporting on the department’s online reporting system.

• Services may be required to use the ARC case management system to record information about referrals and families they have contact with. This will include recording information required for evaluation purposes.

Information sharing guidelines

• To meet the protection and care needs and promote the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, Family Participation Program organisations and their employees must comply with the legal framework regarding the sharing of information provisions under Chapter 5A and Part 4 of the Child Protection Act 1999. All Family Participation Program providers (including fee for service practitioners delivering a family led decision making service) deliver Family Participation Program services as ‘prescribed entities’ and ‘specialist service providers’. Knowing when to share information is an important consideration in enabling the sharing of information provisions.

• A full description of sharing information to support children and families is available in the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women document Information Sharing Guidelines October 2018.

Youth Justice Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Led Decision Making (FLDM) trials initiative

Four service providers are funded for 12 months in 2019-20 to participate in the Youth Justice Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Led Decision Making (FLDM) trials. Features include:

• Supports a culturally responsive youth justice framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples founded on core principles:

o wherever possible, a young person’s family or kinship group should be the primary sources of decision making about decisions affecting that child, and accordingly that, wherever possible, regard should be had to the views of that family and kinship group

o that young people should be held accountable, and encouraged to accept responsibility for their behaviour


o that young people should be dealt with in ways that acknowledge their needs and that will give them the opportunity to develop in responsible, beneficial and socially acceptable ways

o family led decision making promotes families’ shared history, wisdom, untapped resources, and an unrivalled commitment to their children. It is about empowering families and their support network to think and plan creatively for their children and young people, create community partnerships, and utilise family strengths and resources to resolve worries and concerns

o practical demonstration of self-determination

o a culturally safe place for healing – family, child and community.

• Assumptions underpinning decision making processes

o the community should be protected from offences

o children and young people who offend often have complex welfare needs

o children/young people generally have the best outcomes when they are cared for by and connected to their family and/or significant others

o children/young people and their families have a right to be heard and to participate in making decisions that affect them

o children/young people should have the opportunity to develop a connective relationship of identity, family, culture and community

o families know their own strengths and challenges and are capable of making safe decisions and plans, if properly engaged, prepared and provided with the right information

o decisions made within families are more likely to succeed than those imposed by outsiders

o working in partnership with families and their networks benefits children and young people

o plans and agreements to work must be reviewed at important intervals in the safe care and connection of the young person

o independent facilitation and authority to aid decision making

o application of the five categories of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child placement principle (a first for Youth Justice outsourced service delivery).


8. Service modes Service delivery modes are the type of physical setting in which a service is provided to a client.

8.1 Families service modes Family Support Services may be provided in various delivery modes (centre-based, mobile, and virtual) to ensure that services are delivered in the most appropriate mode to meet the needs of the client.


9. Deliverables and performance measures The following deliverables and performance measures are funded under the Families funding area. The service agreement will identify the relevant outputs and measures for each service outlet, the quantum to be delivered and the range of measures to be collected and reported. COUNTING RULES, DESCRIPTORS AND REPORTING EXAMPLES: For counting rules, detailed descriptors and examples please refer to the Catalogue (Version 1). OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: All quantitative reporting on outcome measures can be supplemented with optional qualitative evidence. Qualitative reports can be uploaded to OASIS using IS70. As qualitative reporting is optional the IS70 code will not appear in agreements but will be visible in OASIS.

Service Users Service Types Outputs U3050 – At risk families U3113 – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in three discrete Indigenous communities experiencing or witnessing domestic violence U3310 – Statutory Service Users U3330 – Vulnerable families with children U3333 – Vulnerable and/or at risk Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families U3340 – Referrers and enquirers U1214 – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families subject to a notification or involved in the child protection system

T313 – Support – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Wellbeing T327 – Support - Intensive family support T331 – Support - Safe Haven T334 – Support - Secondary Family Support T336 – Support - Targeted family support T337 – Support - Clinical Nursing Services, Child and Family T339 – Support - Tertiary Family Support T347 – Support – Family and Child Connect T448 – Support - Assessment and Service Connect T-601 – Support - Family Participation

A01.1.06 – Information, advice, individual advocacy, engagement and/or referral A01.2.02 – Case management A01.2.08 – Counselling A02.5.02 – Development of family/household management skills A07.1.02 – Integrated Service System Development A07.1.04 – Volunteer resource development and/or placement A07.2.02 – Community/community centre-based development, coordination and support A02.2.04 – Family participation

The following information relates to information found in items 6.2 and 7.1 in a Service Agreement or 6.2 and 9.1 in a Short Form Service Agreement

https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/about-us/funding-grants/output-funding-reporting


U3050 - At risk families Relates to item 6.2 & 7.1 or 9.1 of the agreement

Relates to item 6.2 of the agreement Relates to item 7.1 or 9.1 of the agreement

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Output Quantity per annum

Number of Service Users

Output Measures

U3050 T327 A01.2.02 Case management

Number of hours


A01.2.02

Number of hours provided during the reporting period

Number of Service Users who received a service during the reporting period

U3050 T312 A01.2.08 Counselling

Number of hours


A01.2.08



U3050

T448

A07.1.02 Integrated Service System Development

Number of hours


A07.1.02



U3050

T448 T337 T347

A01.1.06 Information, advice, individual advocacy, engagement and/or referral

Number of hours


A01.1.06 Number of hours provided during the reporting period


U3050 T337 A01.1.06 Information, advice, individual advocacy, engagement and/or referral

Milestones N/A A01.1.06 Milestones


Relates to item 7.1 or 9.1 of the agreement

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Throughput Measure

U3050 T327 IS132 Number of Service Users with cases commenced during the reporting period

U3050 T327 IS133 Number of existing Service Users

U3050 T347

U3050 T448

U3050 T327 IS145 Number of Service Users who have exited from the service

U3050 T347

U3050 T448

U3050 T327 IS201 Number of referrals received

U3050 T347

U3050 T448

U3050 T327 GM07 Number of Service Users with cases closed as a result of the majority of identified needs being met

U3050 T448

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Demographic Measure

U3050 T327 IS35 Number of Service Users identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

U3050 T347

U3050 T448

U3050 T327 IS39 Number of Service Users identifying as being from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

U3050 T347

U3050 T448


Service User Code

Service Type Code

Outcome Measure

U3050 T327 OM2.1.01 Number of Service Users that have shown improvements in being safe and/or protected from harm

U3050 T347

U3050 T327 OM2.1.08 Number of Service Users with improved life skills

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Other Measure

U3050 T347 IS70 Upload a Report – Local Level Alliance

NA NA GM01 Number of occasions information advice and referral were provided (not provided elsewhere)

U3050 T312 GM16 What significant achievements or factors have impacted on the quality of service delivery during the reporting period? U3050 T448

U3050 T448 IS70 Complete and upload reports as per the templates provided (closures and referrals out)

U3050 T337 IS70 Complete and upload reports as per the template provided (Nurses_Schedule1)


U3113 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in three discrete Indigenous communities experiencing or witnessing domestic violence

Relates to item 6.2 & 7.1 or 9.1 of the agreement


Service User Code

Service Type Code



Output Measures


Number of hours


A01.2.02




Milestones NA A01.1.06

Milestones

U3113 T331

A07.2.02 Community/community centre-based development, coordination and support

Milestones NA A07.2.02

Milestones



Service User Code

Service Type Code

Throughput Measure






Service User Code

Service Type Code

Demographic Measure



Service User Code

Service Type Code

Outcome Measure


Service User Code

Service Type Code

Other Measure

U3113 T331 IS151 Value of brokerage expenditure

U3113 T331 GM01 Number of occasions information advice and referral were provided (not provided elsewhere)

U3113 T331 GM16 What significant achievements or factors have impacted on the quality of service delivery during the reporting period?


U3310 - Statutory service users Relates to item 6.2 & 7.1 or 9.1 of the agreement


Service User Code

Service Type Code



Output Measures

U3310 T339

A01.2.02 Case Management

Number of hours

Number of Families





Service User Code

Service Type Code

Throughput Measure






Service User Code

Service Type Code

Demographic Measure



Service User Code

Service Type Code

Outcome Measure



Service User Code

Service Type Code

Other Measure

U3310 T339 IS151 Value of brokerage expenditure

U3310 T339 IS204 Number of cases per case worker (FTE positions)


U3310 T339 GM16 What significant achievements or factors have impacted on the quality of service delivery during the reporting period?


U3330 - Vulnerable families with children Relates to item 6.2 & 7.1 or 9.1 of the agreement


Service User Code

Service Type Code



Output Measures


Number of hours



U3330 T336 Number of Service Users who received a service during the reporting period


Milestone N/A A01.2.02 Milestones

U3330 T334 A07.2.02 Community/ community centre-based development coordination and support

Milestones N/A A07.2.02

Milestones

U3330 T336

U3330 T336

A01.2.08 Counselling

Number of hours




U3330 T336 A02.5.02 Development of family/household management skills

Number of hours




U3330 T334 A07.1.04 Milestones NA A07.1.04

Milestones

U3330 T336


Volunteer resource development and/or placement

U3330 T334 A01.1.06 Information, advice, individual advocacy, engagement and/or referral for support

Number of hours


A01.1.06



U3330 T334



U3330 T336

U3330 T334


Number of Hours






Service User Code

Service Type Code

Throughput Measure


U3330 T336


U3330 T336


U3330 T336


U3330 T336


U3330 T336

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Demographic Measure


U3330 T336


U3330 T336

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Outcome Measure


U3330 T336


Service User Code

Service Type Code

Other Measure


U3330 T336

U3330 T334 GM16 What significant achievements or factors have impacted on the quality of service delivery during the reporting period? U3330 T336

U3330 T334 IS70 Upload Report – Community/Centre Based Development and Support (AO7.2.02) Upload Report - Volunteer Resource Development and/or Placement (A07.1.04) U3330 T336

U3330 T336 IS70 Upload Report – Case studies (A01.2.02)

U3330 T336 IS70 Upload Report – Outcomes report (Caboolture Young Mothers for Young Women)


U3333 - Vulnerable and/or at risk Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander families Relates to item 6.2 & 7.1 or 9.1 of the agreement


Service User Code

Service Type Code



Output Measures

U3333

T313 A01.2.02 Case management

Number of hours




U3333

T313 T337


Number of hours


A01.1.06





U3333 T313 A07.2.02 Community/community centre-based development coordination and support

Number of hours


A07.2.02



U3333 T313 A07.2.02 Community/community centre-based development coordination and support




Service User Code

Service Type Code

Throughput Measure






Service User Code

Service Type Code

Demographic Measure



Service User Code

Service Type Code

Outcome Measure



U3333 T313 OM2.1.02 Number of Service Users with improved cultural identity / connectedness

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Other Measure

U3333 T313 GM01 Number of occasions information, advice and referral were provided (not provided elsewhere)

U3333 T337 IS70 Complete and upload reports as per the template provided (Nurses_Schedule 1)


U3340 - Referrers and enquirers Relates to item 6.2 & 7.1 or 9.1 of the agreement


Service User Code

Service Type Code



Output Measures

U3340 T347


Milestones NA A07.1.02 Milestones

U3340 T347 T448


Number of hours

NA A01.1.06 Number of hours provided during the reporting period



Service User Code

Service Type Code

Throughput Measure

U3340 T347 T448

IS133 Number of existing Service Users

U3340 T347 T448

IS145 Number of Service Users who have exited from the service

U3340 T347 T448

IS201 Number of referrals received

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Demographic Measure

U3340 T347 T448

IS35

Number of Service Users identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

U3340 T347 T448

IS39 Number of Service Users identifying as being from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Outcome Measure

U3340 T347 T448

OM2.1.01 Number of service users that have shown improvements in being safe and/or protected from harm

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Other Measure



U1214 - Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander families subject to a notification or involved in the child protection system

Relates to item 6.2 & 7.1 or 9.1 of the agreement


Service User Code

Service Type Code



Output Measures

U1214

T601 A02.2.04 Family participation

N/A Number of Service Users

A02.2.04 Number of Service Users who received a service during the reporting period



Service User Code

Service Type Code

Throughput Measure

U1214

T601 IS132 Number of Service Users with cases commenced during the reporting period

U1214

T601 IS133 Number of existing Service Users

U1214

T601 IS145 Number of Service Users who have exited from the service

U1214

T601 IS201 Number of referrals received

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Demographic Measure

U1214

T601 IS35 Number of Service Users identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander

U1214

T601 IS39 Number of Service Users identifying as being from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds

Service User Code

Service Type Code

Outcome Measure

U1214

T601 OM3.1.01 Number of Service Users satisfied with the supports provided

U1214

T601 OM3.1.02 Number of instances in which family participation support results in lower levels of involvement in the child protection system by the child and family


10. Contact information For further information regarding this investment specification, please contact your nearest service centre.

For information regarding current funding opportunities, visit the Department of Child Safety, Youth and Women website.

11. Other funding and supporting documents • Investment Specifications:

1. Child Protection (Support Services) 2. Child Protection (Placement Services) 3. Families 4. Domestic and Family Violence 5. Individuals 6. Young people 7. Older people 8. Community 9. Service System Support and Development

• Catalogue • Human Services Quality Framework (HSQF)

https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/contact-us/department-contacts/child-family-contacts/child-safety-service-centres

https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/about-us/funding-grants

https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/about-us/funding-grants

https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/about-us/funding-grants/investment-specifications

https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/about-us/funding-grants/output-funding-reporting

https://www.csyw.qld.gov.au/about-us/funding-grants/human-services-quality-framework


Report - Community/community centre-based development, coordination and support (A07.2.02)

Quarterly output summary report Quarter from: insert start date to insert end date

Community/centre-based development

and support activities / events Number of agencies

Number of participants Comments

(if applicable) (if applicable) (e.g.: aim of event, who participated, location, feedback, benefits/outcomes etc.)

(Insert more rows as needed)

Case Study (optional)


Report – Volunteer resource development and/or placement (A07.1.04) Quarterly output summary report Quarter from: insert start date to insert end date

Number of training and development session Number of volunteers

Number of families supported

(Insert more rows as needed)

Case Study (optional)


Report – Brokerage expenditure – Safe Haven (T311) (Organisation name)

Quarter from: insert start date to insert end date

Date Link to case plan Type of expenditure Organisation/Company Amount End of quarter Total expenditure

Number of Service Users supported with brokerage funds this quarter: Trends and issues: Other comments:


Report - Wellbeing Domains Needs identification record / Needs assessment record

Family Name: ______________________________________________ Case ID: ________________________________

Family Safety Challenge Moderate Challenge Adequate

Moderate Strength Strength

No Information

Not Applicable

Overall Assessment

Key risk factors and things to consider when making a decision

Considerations about the child/ young person: Does the Child or young person have a safe home environment? Does the child or young person display risky behaviour (such as running away from home or absences from school)? The Family Safety domain area focuses on unsafe behaviours

or an unsafe environment that could negatively impact a child’s wellbeing. When making an assessment on the challenge or strength of the domain area for the family, please consider the items to the left and make an overall assessment on whether you or the family considers family safety to be a concern at the time.

Considerations about the family: Is there a history of family and domestic violence? Is there a history of child abuse or neglect? Does the family environment include problems relating to drug and alcohol use? Does the family environment include problems relating to crime?

Considerations about the child’s community: Is the child or young person safe at school (e.g. bullying)? Does the child or young person live in a safe neighbourhood?

Comments

Refer additional comments page


Material Wellbeing Challenge

Moderate Challenge Adequate


No Information

Not Applicable

Overall Assessment


Considerations about the child/ young person: Are the child’s or young person’s basic care needs being met (including food and clothing)?

The Material Wellbeing domain area focuses on the family’s access to housing, food and other basic needs. For instance, a family is said to have adequate material wellbeing if they have access to some income (such as a Centrelink benefit), are renting or buying a house (that is large enough to accommodate them), or if the family is able to pay their bills and buy food and clothing. When making an assessment on the challenge or strength of the domain area for the family, please consider the items to the left and make an overall assessment on whether you or the family considers material wellbeing to be a concern at the time.

Considerations about the family: Does the family have a regular income? Is at least one parent participating in education/ training? Does the family adequately manage their financial and material resources? Is the family home safe, affordable and suitable? Is the family able to buy food and clothing?

Considerations about the child’s community: Does the family have access to appropriate government services? Does the family have access to transport (their own car or public transport)? Does the family participate in ordinary community life?

Comments



Connections Challenge Moderate Challenge Adequate


No Information

Not Applicable

Overall Assessment


Considerations about the child/ young person: Does the child or young person have a sense of belonging, at home, at school and in the community? Does the child or young person have strong relationships with his or her peers and with adults?

The Connections domain area focuses on the types of support networks the family and young person have. Good connections foster a sense of belonging/ identity and facilitate supportive relationships. When making an assessment on the challenge or strength of the domain area for the family please consider the items to the left and make an overall assessment on whether you or the family considers connections to be a concern at the time.

Considerations about the family: Does the family have strong relationships with relatives, friends and neighbours?

Considerations about the child’s community: Does the family or child have a good knowledge of local support networks in the community? Does the family or child find support through their spiritual connections?

Comments



Health Challenge Moderate Challenge Adequate


No Information

Not Applicable

Overall Assessment


Considerations about the child/ young person: Does the child or young person have good physical health? Does the child or young person have good mental health and emotional wellbeing? Does the child or young person undertake regular exercise and have a nutritional diet?

The Health domain area focuses on the family’s access to healthcare and treatment of existing health and mental health issues, as well as embracing a healthy lifestyle to maintain good health. When making an assessment on the challenge or strength of the domain area for the family, please consider the items to the left and make an overall assessment on whether you or the family considers health to be a concern at the time.

Considerations about the family: Is there a chronic illness in the family? Has a member of the family been recently hospitalised? Do the adults in the family have good mental and emotional health? Is there a suspected undiagnosed health issue? Does the family manage their prescribed medications well?

Considerations about the child’s community: Does the family have access to health services? Does the family have access to mental health services? Does the family have access to respite services? Does the family have access to leisure, sport and recreation options? Does the family have access to infrastructure that supports mobility (e.g. wheelchair access)?

Comments



Child Wellbeing Challenge Moderate Challenge Adequate


No Information

Not Applicable

Overall Assessment


Considerations about the child/ young person: Does the child or young person seek out or have opportunities to undertake social activities? Is the child or young person achieving developmental milestones? Does the child or young person have developmentally appropriate learning opportunities? Does the child or young person have the ability to communicate thoughts to others?

The Child Wellbeing domain area focuses on opportunities for a child or young person to undertake activities that positively impact on his or her development and wellbeing. When making an assessment on the challenge or strength of the domain area for the family, please consider the items to the left and make an overall assessment on whether you or the family considers child wellbeing to be a concern at the time.

Considerations about the family: Do the parents/ other family members have the ability and knowledge to support the child/young person? Does the child have an opportunity to engage with his/ her parent(s) (i.e. playing, reading)?

Considerations about the child’s community: Does the family have access to specialist services? Does the family have access to sports, leisure and entertainment activities? Does the child participate in child care/ play group/ school?

Comments



Parenting Challenge Moderate Challenge Adequate


No Information

Not Applicable

Overall Assessment


Considerations about the child/ young person: Does the child interact positively with his or her parent(s)? Does the child have contact with both parents?

The Parenting domain area focuses on parenting issues or concerns that could impact on a child’s development and home environment.

When making an assessment on the challenge or strength of the domain area for the family, please consider the items to the left and make an overall assessment on whether you or the family considers family safety to be a concern at the time.

Considerations about the family: Do the parents provide age appropriate activities for the child? Is the parent confident? Does the parent provide a family routine? Is there a positive and responsive parent/ child relationship? Does the parent employ positive child behaviour management techniques? Does the parent provide play/ learning activities? Does the parent teach the child life skills? Does the parent teach the child the impact of any cultural beliefs? Does the parent have a motivation to change their parenting style? Is there involvement of relatives and extended family in child rearing? Considerations about the child’s community: Does the family have access to culturally appropriate support? Does the family have access to family/ community networks?

Comments



Family Interactions Challenge

Moderate Challenge Adequate


No Information

Not Applicable

Overall Assessment


Considerations about the child/ young person: Does the Child or young person feel included in the family?

The Family Interactions domain area focuses on the family relationship environment that ensures relationships are fostered and with a strong network. Discord in the family can strain these relationships, causing the child or young person to feel excluded. When making an assessment on the challenge or strength of the domain area for the family, please consider the items to the left and make an overall assessment on whether you or the family considers family interactions to be a concern at the time.

Considerations about the family: Is there a positive parent/ carer and child relationship? Does the family have a high quality of life? Has the family experienced separation? Do the parents have a good relationship? Do the siblings have a good relationship?

Considerations about the child’s community: Does the family have access to culturally appropriate family support services? Is there effective informal support available to the family (family and friends)? Does the family have opportunities for leisure, sport and entertainment activities? Does the family have relatives and extended family networks?

Comments



FAMILY WELLBEING SERVICES

Cultural Identity/

Connectedness Challenge Moderate Challenge Adequate


No Information

Not Applicable

Overall Assessment


Considerations about the child/ young person: Does the child or young person have a sense of cultural identity and connectedness, at home, at school and in the community? Does the child or young person participate in and develop links with their culture, their cultural community and country (if the two are different)?

The Cultural Identity/Connectedness domain area focuses on the types of links the family and young person have with their culture and in their community and country (if the two are different). Good connections foster a sense of belonging/ identity and facilitate supportive relationships. When making an assessment on the challenge or strength of the domain area for the family please consider the items to the left and make an overall assessment on whether you or the family considers cultural identity and connectedness to be a concern at the time.

Considerations about the family: Does the family have strong cultural identity and connectedness with kin, friends, and community? Do they participate in and develop links with their culture, their cultural community and country (if the two are different)?

Considerations about the child’s community: Does the family or child have a good knowledge of local cultural networks in their community and country (if the two are different), and participate in and develop links with their culture and their community and country? Does the family or child find support through their spiritual connections?

Comments



Report – Local Level Alliance Location:

Report for the quarter ending: (e.g.; 31 March 2018) MEETING DATES: KEY ISSUES AND ACHIEVEMENTS: Referrals Include as appropriate:

• Strategies implemented or planned which have resulted in effective referral pathways for clients. • Responses to Identified barriers to clients accessing the right service at the right time. • Any factors influencing referral pathways. • Highlight strategies implemented which have resulted in increased referrals and engagement of Aboriginal

and Torres Strait Islander and/or culturally and linguistically diverse clients.

Collaboration Include as appropriate:

• Strategies implemented or planned to increase or support case collaboration between services to the benefit of shared clients.

• Issues identified as barriers to effective case collaboration in supporting mutual clients.

Service System Include as appropriate:

• Describe what is working well • Innovated responses and solutions to service system issues. • Identified local requirements for the long-term improvements of the service system in supporting families

to keep children safe. • Identified service gaps. • Emerging trends and issues.

Information and data sharing Include as appropriate:

• Systems or processes implemented or planned to facilitate sharing of personal client information between services to support client outcomes.

• Strategies to strengthen sharing of service level data between local providers.

Time

Required: • Number of hours spent on Alliance related work by the FaCC service for the quarter.

PRIORITIES Include as appropriate:

• Priorities and key focus areas for the next quarter • Development of governance structures and terms of reference. • Projects and action plans.

Attachments: Attachment 1 – List of Local Level Alliance membership

Attachment 2 – List of attendees for each meeting


Attachment 3 – (optional) Case Study – One Family’s Story and the service system response (excluding any identifying information)

Please make sure any information provided regarding Service Users is de-identified. Keep word length to 250 words.

Reporting period from: insert start date to insert end date Outcome measure: insert measure

Supplementary qualitative evidence to outcome measure:

[insert here]

Report – Qualitative evidence to supplement outcome measure (OPTIONAL)


Template will be provided for ASC services to report the following:

Closures Closure Reason Further reasoning

Referral not accepted • Service capacity • Other

Indirect service only (no contact with family) (A07.1.02)

Indirect service and initial contact with family only (A07.1.02 and A01.1.06)

• No consent for further direct service • Needs met at Initial Family Contact • Other

Early exist after initial contact (A07.1.02 and A01.1.06)

• Unable to contact/locate family • Family withdrew consent/disengaged • Service response was no longer appropriate

due to child protection concerns (Child Safety continues)

• Other

Direct and indirect service completed (A07.1.02 and A01.1.06)

Referrals Referrals made by the ASC service to other providers (there may be more than one per service user). Examples of service types are:

• ATSI Wellbeing • Other ATSI family support • Intensive Family Support • Other child and family support • Domestic and Family Violence • Substance Misuse • Mental Health – Child • Mental Health – Other • Disability • Youth • Health • Other

Report – ASC Closures and Referrals


Report – Health Visiting Program

Quarterly performance report Quarter from: [insert start date] to [insert end date] 1. Service delivery

a) Total number of children [insert number]

b) Number of children receiving home visits [insert number]

c) Number of home visits [insert number]

2. Characteristics of service users

d) Number of children identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

[insert number]

e) Number of children identifying as Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

[insert number]

f) Number of children of single parents [insert number]

g) Total number of children with mothers under 20 years of age

[insert number]

h) Number of children with mothers who identify as experiencing alcohol and drug issues

[insert number]

i) Number of children with mothers who identify as experiencing financial hardship

[insert number]

j) Number of children with mothers who identify as experiencing domestic and family violence

insert number]

k) Number of children with mothers who identify as experiencing mental health issues

insert number]


3. Quality of service delivery

(Client satisfaction with service i.e. frequency of support, the extent to which they felt valued and understood, the extent to which workers involved them in setting intervention goals and cultural competence)

[insert text]

4. Quality standards

(Evidence of compliance with relevant standards)

[insert text]

5. Outcomes of service delivery

l) Proportion of clients accessing appropriate levels of ante-natal and post-natal care (circle one):

0 – 20% 21 - 40% 41 – 60% 61 – 80% 81 – 100% Comments: [insert text]

m) Proportion of clients reporting improved access to support services and informal supports (circle one):


n) Proportion of clients who report improved parent-child interaction (circle one):

0 – 20%


21 - 40% 41 – 60% 61 – 80% 81 – 100% Comments: [insert text]

o) Proportion of clients reporting improved knowledge of infant development (circle one):


p) Proportion of mothers reporting improved mental health and/or decreased substance use (circle one):


q) Proportion of children subject to child concern reports or notifications during or after intervention (circle one):


r) Proportion of infants achieving developmental milestones (circle one):

0 – 20% 21 - 40% 41 – 60%


61 – 80% 81 – 100% Comments: [insert text]

6. Additional information (if required)

(Issues impacting on service delivery this quarter, including barriers and/or successes)

[insert text]


Nurses in Child and Family catchmentsPlease select your catchment

Activity Q1 (Jul-Sept)

Q2 (Oct-Dec)

Q3 (Jan-Mar)

Q4 (Apr-June)

Total Comments

Service Families ProfileTotal number of families 0

Number of families who identify mental health issues 0Number of families who identify alcohol and drug issues 0Number of famlies with a parent with a disablity or intellectual delay 0Number of famlies with a child with a disablity or intellectual delay 0Number of families who identify financial hardship issues 0Number of mothers < 20 years 0Number of families identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait 0Number of families identifying as culturally and linguistically diverse 0Number of families who identify domestic and family violence issues 0Number of occasions an interpreter was required 0 which languages/AUSLAN?

Health/Clinical SupportNumber of occasions advice, information and/or advocacy provided - family 0Number of occasions advice and information provided - service staff 0Number of occasions that medical treatment was provided 0 what type of treatments?

Total number of occasions advice and information provided 0 0 0 0 0Total number of home visits 0

Number of health assessments completed - children 0 what types of assessments?Number of health assessments completed - parents 0 what types of assessments?

Total number of health assessments completed 0 0 0 0 0Total number of parent group sessions* 0Total number of family group sessions* 0Total number of staff information sessions* 0Total number of participants in group sessions figures excluded from total

Total number of group-based sessions* 0 0 0 0 0Referrals to Other Service/AgencyNumber of referrals to maternal and child health 0Number of referrals to mental health services 0Number of referrals to drug and alcohol services 0Number of referrals to allied health services 0Number of referrals to other service/agency (not listed above) 0Number of referrals to domestic and family violence services 0Number of referrals to Child Safety 0

Total number of referrals 0 0 0 0 0

Quarterly reporting data - 2017/2018

Report – Clinical Nursing Services_Schedule1


Report - Case Studies

Service Name: ………………………………..

Six-monthly from: insert start date to insert end date

Case Study Family Members Comments/outcomes

Case Study 1:

Case Study 2:

Case Study 3:

Case Study 4:


Case Study 5:

Case Study 6:


Report - IS70 Outcomes report (Caboolture Young Mothers for Young Women)

A. Number of users who have shown improvements in parenting capacity (Case management and group only support) Outcomes

Indicator Measurement

method Counting rule Reporting period

indicator Total No. of

parents/ families

receiving support

Indicator as a % of

all parents/ families

receiving support

Indicator/No. of parents/

families receiving

case management

Indicator/No. of parents/

families accessing

group support

Parents increase their knowledge of, and skills to access, available early childhood, health and specialist services for families and children in the community

Number and % of parents who report that since receiving support knowledge of services, resources and activities in the community for children and families has improved

6 monthly assessment tool – to be finalised

Count the number of parents who are assessed at the end of the reporting period as having attained greater awareness of services, resources and community activities. Express as a percentage of all parents receiving any service support in that period; further by the number receiving case management support and the number accessing group support only.

No. of parents who are assessed at the end of the reporting period as having attained greater awareness

Number and % of parents who report their access to services, resources and activities in the community for children and families has improved

Count the number of parents who are assessed at the end of the reporting period as having attained greater access to services, resources and community activities. Express as a percentage of all parents receiving any service support in that period; further by the number receiving case management support in that period and the number accessing group support only.

No. of parents who are assessed at the end of the reporting period as having attained greater access to services, resources and community activities.

Children have increased identification and referral to services for

% no. of children who receive development and social/emotional screening and who are referred for

Record of ASQ completion

Count the number of children screened for developmental delays, social/emotional issues in the reporting period and count the number of subsequent referrals provided. Express

Reporting period indicator

No. of children screened for deve lopmental

% of children screened for deve lopmental

% of children screened for vision/hearing/health delays

No. of subsequent referrals to support services


possible developmental and social/emotional delays and vision/hearing/other health issues

further support as needed % no. of children who are referred for vision/hearing/health screening

Number of follow up referrals made for child/ren

as a percentage of all children identified as needing this type of response using the Ages and Stages Assessment.

and social/ emotional or vision/ hearing/health delays

and social/ emotional delays

No. of children screened for developmental delays, social/emotional issues

Parents increase knowledge and understanding of developmental topics including healthy births, children’s language and literacy and their child’s emerging development and age appropriate development

% no. of parents who report that since receiving support their knowledge and understanding of their child/ren’s health and development has improved


Count the number of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as having attained greater knowledge of their child/ren’s health and development. Express as a percentage of all parents receiving any service support in that period; further by the number receiving case management support in that period and the number accessing group support only


Total No. of parents/ families receiving support

Indicator as a % of all parents /families receiving support

Indicator/No. of parents/ families receiving case management

Indicator/ No. of parents/ families accessing group support

No. of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as having attained greater knowledge of their child/ren’s health and development.

% no. of parents who report that since receiving support their knowledge and understanding of activities they can do with their child to support development, learning and positive interaction has improved


Count the number of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as having attained greater understanding of activities they can do with their child to support development, learning and positive interaction. Express as a percentage of all parents receiving any service support in that period; further by the number receiving case management support in that period and the number accessing group support only

No. of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as having attained greater understanding of activities they can do with their child to support development, learning and positive interaction.


Parents show improved parenting confidence and capacity

% no. of parents who report their happiness and confidence in their roles has improved since receiving support


Count the number of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as being happier and more confident in their role. Express as a percentage of all parents receiving any service support in that period; further by the number receiving case management support in that period and the number accessing group support only



Indicator as a % of all parents/ families receiving support

Indicator/ No. of parents/ families receiving case management

Indicator/No. of parents/ families accessing group support

No. of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as being happier and more confident in their role.

% no. of parents who report their knowledge and understanding of activities they can do with their child to support development, learning and positive interaction has improved


Count the number of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as having attained greater understanding of activities they can do with their child and that report that positive interaction has improved. Express as a percentage of all parents receiving any service support in that period; further by the number receiving case management support in that period and the number accessing group support only

No. of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as having attained greater understanding of activities they can do with their child and that report that positive interaction has improved.

Families show improved parent-child interaction

% no. of parents who report that since receiving support their relationship and interactions with your child/ren has improved


Count the number of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as having more positive interaction with their child/ren. Express as a percentage of all parents receiving any service support in that period; further by the number receiving case management support in that period and the number accessing group support only

No. of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as having more positive interaction with their child/ren.

% no. of parents who report that since receiving support their knowledge and understanding of positive and nurturing parenting skills and


Count the number of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as having attained greater understanding of positive and nurturing parenting skills, and who report that behaviour has improved. Express as a percentage of all parents receiving any service support in that period; further by




No. of parents/families who report improvement in

Indicator/ No. of parents/ families receivi

Indicator/No. of parents/ families access


behaviour has improved

the number receiving case management support in that period and the number accessing group support only

behaviour

ng case management

ing group support

Number of parents who are assessed in the reporting period as having attained greater understanding of positive and nurturing parenting skills, and who report that behaviour has improved.

Parents promote children’s healthy development, language and literacy in the home

% no. of parents who report that since receiving support they are reading aloud to their children at home more often


Count the number of parents who report in the reporting period that they are reading aloud to their children three or more times a week. Express as a percentage of all parents receiving any service support in that period; further by the number receiving case management support in that period and the number accessing group support only

No. of parents who report in the reporting period that they are reading aloud to their children three or more times a week.



Indicator/ No. of parents/ families receiving case management

Indicator/No. of parents/ families accessing group support

Families link with other families and build social connections

% no. of parents who report they have made friendships and received support from other parents like themselves


Count the number of parents that report in the reporting period that they had made friendships and received peer support. Express as a percentage of all parents receiving any service support in that period; further by the number receiving case management support in that period and the number accessing group support only

No. of parents that report in the reporting period that they had made friendships and received peer support.


B. (i) Number of users with improved life skills (case management only) Outcomes

Indicator Measurement method

Counting rule Reporting period indicator (case management only)

Measures

Families presenting as homeless are housed

Number and % of families presenting as homeless who access long term, secure and affordable housing

Support plan goal creation and status

Count the number of families who have had an open support plan goal to “access long term, secure and affordable housing” in the reporting period. Of these - report goal status: • % and Number still open • % and Number closed • Reasons for closure (e.g. need

met) by % and number

No. of families who have had an open support plan goal to “access long term, secure and affordable housing” Report for those receiving Case management only (i.e. they have a current support plan goal)

No. of families who have had an open support plan goal to “access long term, secure and affordable housing

Number still open at end of reporting period

Percentage still open at end of reporting period

%

Number closed at end of reporting period

Percentage closed at end of reporting period

%

Reasons for closure (e.g. need met) by % and number – to be provided by YPP: Reason 1: Reason 2: Reason 3:

Families at risk of homelessness sustain their tenancies

% families at risk of homelessness who have sustained their tenancies (> 6 months)


Count the number of families who have had an open support plan goal to “sustain their tenancy” in the reporting period. Of these- report goal status: • % and Number still open • % and Number closed • Reasons for closure (e.g. need


No. of families who have had an open support plan goal to “sustain their tenancy” Report for those receiving Case management only (i.e. they have a current support plan goal)

No. of families who have had an open support plan goal to “sustain their tenancy”

Number still open at end of reporting period

Percentage still open at end of reporting period

%

Number closed at end of reporting period

Percentage closed at end of reporting period

%


Reasons for closure (e.g. need met) by % and number – to be provided by YPP: Reason 1: Reason 2: Reason 3:

Parents and children impacted by domestic and family violence support receive appropriate support

Supported DFV referrals are made where needed

Number and % of parents with a domestic and family violence support need who have their need addressed

Service records Support plan goal creation and status

Count number of referrals made in the reporting period in which DFV is a factor Count the number of parents who had had an open support plan goal in the reporting period to either: • Safely exit their housing or to

break their lease • Obtain a domestic violence

protection order • Understand the dynamics of

domestic and family violence • Ensure their children are safe

from harm • For their known safety risks to

be identified and managed • Ensure their home is physically

safer and more secure to live in Of these - report goal status: • % and Number still open • % and Number closed • Reasons for closure (e.g. need


No. of referrals made in the reporting period in which DFV is a factor

Report for those receiving Case management only (i.e. they have a current support plan goal)

No. of referrals made in the reporting period in which DFV is a factor

No. of parents who safely exited their housing

No. of parents who broke their lease

No. of parents who obtained a domestic violence protection order

No. of parents who understand the dynamics of domestic and family violence

No. of parents who ensured their children are safe from harm

No. of parents who can identify and manager their known safety risks

No. who ensured their home is physically safer and more secure to live in

• % and Number still open • % and Number closed Reasons for closure (e.g. need met) by % and number


Parents presenting with a work, learning or meaningful activity need access or engage in in work, learning or meaningful activity

% parents with a work, learning or meaningful activity support need who have their need addressed


Count the number of parents who have had an open support plan goal in the reporting period to either: • Complete secondary education • Complete an accredited training

course • Complete a TAFE course • Undertake a university degree • Get a job • Volunteer • Maintain current employment Of these - report goal status: • % and Number still open • % and Number closed • Reasons for closure (e.g. need


No. of parents who have completed education, training or obtained employment during the reporting period Report for those receiving Case management only (i.e. they have a current support plan goal)

No. of parents who have completed their education during the reporting period

No. of parents who have completed a training during the reporting period

No. of parents who have obtained employment during the reporting period

No of Parents who have: Completed secondary education

Completed an accredited training course

Completed a TAFE course

Undertaken a university degree

Obtained employment

Taken up volunteering

Maintained current employment

Of these - report goal status: • % and Number still open • % and Number closed

Reasons for closure (e.g. need met) by % and number

B. (ii) Number of users with improved life skills – for pregnant young women Outcomes

Indicator Measurement method

Counting rule Reporting period indicator (case management only)

Measures Outcomes

Pregnant young mothers have access to and engage in

% no. pregnant young mothers receiving support who are regularly


Count the number of young women who have identified as being pregnant in the reporting period and of those the number who indicate they are accessing antenatal care.

No. of young women who have identified as being pregnant in the reporting period

No. of young women who have identified as being pregnant in the reporting period

No. of young women who have identified as being pregnant in the


quality antenatal care

attending quality antenatal care Reduction in the number of unborn notifications without a plan for the birth.

Hospital partnership data Support plan goal creation and status


Express as a percentage of young mothers accessing support who identify as being pregnant. Count the number of women who have had an open support plan goal to “access antenatal care” in the reporting period. Of these - report goal status: • % and Number still open • % and Number closed • Reasons for closure (e.g. need

met) by % and number Count the number of young women who have identified as being pregnant in the reporting period and of those the number who indicate that Child Safety is currently involved with the family and an unborn notification has been made. Express as a percentage of young mothers accessing support who identify as being pregnant.

and of those the number who indicate they are accessing antenatal care. - Any pregnant young woman across ‘case management’ and ‘group support only’

reporting period and have indicated they are accessing antenatal care

Percentage of young mothers accessing support who identify as being pregnant.

%

No. of women who have had an open support plan goal to “access antenatal care” in the reporting period

No. of women who have had an open support plan goal to “access antenatal care” in the reporting period.

Of the above % and Number still open

Of the above % and Number still open

Reasons for closure (e.g. need met) by % and number to be provided by YPP: Reason 1: Reason 2: Reason 3:

Number of pregnant women who indicate that Child Safety is currently involved with the family and an unborn notification has been made. (Any pregnant young woman

No. of pregnant women who indicate that Child Safety is currently involved with the family.

No. of pregnant women who indicate that an unborn notification has been made.

Percentage of young mothers accessing support who identify as being pregnant


across ‘case management’ and ‘group support only’)

C. Additional reports

Community collaboration occurs to support outcomes for young pregnant and parenting women and their families

• Number of MOUs developed

• Number of partnerships established

• Number of community/service meetings attended

Register of MOUs and partnerships Record of meeting attendance

Count the number of MOUs developed and agreed in the reporting period and with who Count the number of partnerships involved in during the reporting period and with who Count the number of community and service meetings attended during the reporting period • Provide a narrative on

achievements and plans resulting from the above

No. of MOUs and partnerships developed and agreed in the reporting period and with who No. of community and service meetings attended during the reporting period: • Achievements • plans

resulting from the above

Team leader to manage To report Quarterly

No. of MOUs developed and agreed in the reporting period

No. of partnerships developed and agreed in the reporting period

No. of community and service meetings attended during the reporting period: • Achievements

• plans resulting from the above

investment specification familiesinvestment is provided to deliver services to families to improve...

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